Pride of a Christian

[Acts 16:35-40]

In today's world, it seems that many people are trapped in feelings of inferiority and discouragement.  Constantly repeating negative thoughts like "I am nothing, I don't deserve grace or blessings" can lead to the frightening consequences of self-abuse.  This can result in a life where self-worth is lost due to inferiority and discouragement, as individuals repeatedly criticize themselves, saying, "I am wretched, I am a sinner, I am unworthy of a happy life."  What is inferiority complex?  In the context of the dictionary, an inferiority complex refers to "evaluating oneself as less valuable than others."  Even in Chinese, an inferiority complex means "having a mindset that regards oneself as humble and looks down on oneself."  Ultimately, inferiority is an emotion that devalues oneself, comparing one's stature, appearance, abilities, education, etc., to those of others and thinking that one falls short or is worthless.  Individuals with an inferiority complex often have low self-esteem due to an unhealthy self-concept.  When caught up in feelings of inferiority, a person becomes passive, loses confidence in everything, and is unable to be proactive due to these emotions.  Typically, individuals who feel inferior tend to magnify their shortcomings and believe they are lacking compared to others.

C.S. Lewis, a British scholar at the University of Cambridge and a philosopher, stated that the greatest weapon Satan uses to destroy the personality and consciousness of modern people is the comparative sense, which is the aftermath of an inferiority complex.  Many people, including Christians, are attacked by this weapon of Satan and live with feelings of inferiority, leading to a passive life and a lack of self-confidence.  Internally, they are anxious and fearful and are plagued by self-abuse.  Among those who feel inferior, some exhibit symptoms of perfectionism to conceal the aspects of feeling inferior.  They meticulously strive to cover and disguise their feelings of inadequacy.  However, as Christians, we should live with pride.  What does pride for a Christian mean?  Pride for a Christian means positively valuing one's own existence.  According to Dr. J. Hardfield, a psychologist from the UK, when we give ourselves a sense of self-confidence by saying, "You're wrong.  It's over now!" we can only use about 30% of our actual abilities.  In contrast, when we instill confidence in ourselves by saying, "You can do it!  You are special!  Why can't you do it when others can?" we can unleash up to 500% of our abilities.

As Christians, we can only find our positive self-worth within Jesus.  We can never find anything to boast about outside of Jesus.  In Jesus, we become new creations seeking eternal pride and infinite dignity granted to us within His gospel.  Therefore, as new creations in Jesus, both I and you, we, as God's children, have opened our eyes to view ourselves from His perspective.  For instance, looking at Isaiah 43, when we observe ourselves from the perspective of God's love, realizing how He values us as precious and honored helps us understand the true worth of our existence.

Paul and Silas, being Romans, also had a sense of pride.

As we have already contemplated, even when Paul and Silas were unjustly accused and imprisoned, they prayed and praised God (Acts 16:25).  In the midst of God's intervention, Paul and Silas could have escaped, but they chose to stay, leading to the joyful conversion of the jailer and his household (verse 34). Later, as the day dawned, the magistrates sent officers to release Paul and Silas. Instead of leaving quietly, Paul and Silas, through the jailer, were informed: "The magistrates have sent to let you go.  Now therefore come out and go in peace" (vv. 35-36).  What follows is Paul's intriguing response: "But Paul said to them, 'They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly?  No!  Let them come themselves and take us out'" (v. 37).  How remarkable is Paul's boldness!  Noteworthy in this context is Paul's revelation of his Roman citizenship.  When Paul, through the name of Jesus Christ, cast out the spirit from the slave girl, her owners, realizing their loss of profit, dragged Paul and Silas to the authorities (v. 19).  When accused before the magistrates, Paul did not assert his Roman citizenship, despite being Jewish and causing a disturbance in the city according to the accusations (vv. 20-21).  But in today's passage, only now does Paul assert that he and Silas are Roman citizens, despite having Roman citizenship.  Yet, they were unjustly denied a proper trial according to Roman law and were thrown into prison (Yoo).  Therefore, Paul boldly declared, "Let them come themselves and take us out."  But why Paul is revealing his Roman citizenship only now is not clear.  If Paul had declared to the magistrates that he and Silas were Roman citizens when they were being brought before them, they might not have endured severe physical suffering and beatings.  Why Paul chose not to disclose his Roman citizenship at that moment, enduring the pain and suffering first, and revealing it later, is an intriguing question.  However, one clear fact is that because Paul and Silas did not assert their Roman citizenship initially, the jailer and his household eventually came to believe in God (v. 34).  If they had identified themselves as Roman citizens when the owners of the divining spirit, who had been healed, brought charges against them, they might not have been thrown into prison.  In that case, the miraculous intervention of God in the prison, leading to the jailer and his household believing in God (v. 34), might not have occurred, and there might not have been any record in the Bible of such a remarkable story of salvation through the prayers of Paul and Silas.  When contemplating this extraordinary story of salvation brought about through the prayers of Paul and Silas, their attitude is similar to other apostles who rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name (5:41).  Looking at today's passage, Acts 16:35-40, when Paul and Silas declare their Roman citizenship as they are being released from prison, we see in verse 38 that the magistrates were afraid, as the Bible records.  This fear is understandable because, during that time, those who possessed Roman citizenship were entitled to a very fair and just legal process compared to non-citizens.  The magistrates had violated the law by severely beating and imprisoning Paul and Silas without due process, and if this fact were reported to Roman authorities, they would face serious consequences.  Therefore, they personally came to the prison, apologized to Paul and Silas, escorted them out, and urged them to leave the city (v. 39).  How dignified Paul and Silas must have appeared as they left the prison!  When observing their pursuit of justice for themselves as Roman citizens and their acceptance of Roman hospitality, it is evident that Paul and Silas carried a sense of pride in their Roman citizenship.

Now it might be different, but in the past, having U.S. citizenship was not just a wishful thinking.  Immigrants often expected that, even if they couldn't obtain citizenship right away, acquiring U.S. permanent residency would be enough to be recognized as enviable U.S. citizens by people around the world.  It was probably around 1995 when I first went to Korea. I had a visa but did not go beyond the airport, as I had visited the Korean consulate in Fukuoka, Japan.  At that time, I went with my cousin who was living in Busan.  When we landed in Japan and tried to enter, my cousin wrote something and handed it over, and the personnel directly corrected it for me, allowing me to enter.  On the other hand, my cousin, being a Korean citizen, was asked to correct the document and return.  My cousin felt very upset at that time.  It felt like the power of U.S. citizenship, a small aspect of my own life, was evident.  Enjoying the rights as a U.S. citizen can bring comfort even in small aspects of one's life.

We should take pride in being Christians.  Why should we take pride in being Christians?  The reason is that our citizenship is in heaven, not in the United States or Korea.  Look at Philippians 3:20-21: "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself."  As citizens of heaven, you and I are the people of heaven waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ to come again.  When He returns to this world, we will be transformed suddenly to be like the glorious body of Jesus.  Therefore, we should live with pride. We should never have feelings of inferiority or discouragement and live passively.  Also, we should never have material prosperity and secular pride like the church in Laodicea (Rev. 3:16), because secular pride ultimately becomes the cause of spiritual poverty.  Instead, even in material poverty, we should have spiritual pride and move toward the heavenly kingdom.  Only those who have received justification through faith, like you and me, can have the pride that says, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13).  The reason is that the Lord has overcome the world.  Look at John 16:33: "...  In the world you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world."

As Christians, we should live in this world with such pride, being strong and courageous.  We should boldly live with confidence in the Lord.  We must never live in fear and anxiety.  Why?  Look at Isaiah 41:10 - "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Low self-esteem,

James Kim

(Wishing us to live with pride in the Lord)