Romans 12:16 | The Subtle Pride Nobody in Ministry Talks About

There is a version of pride that does not look like pride at all. It does not boast. It does not push people around. It just quietly stops being curious. It already knows how things work. It gives advice more than it receives it. And it finds it hard to be genuinely surprised by someone it has already categorized.

Romans 12:16 addresses that version directly.

Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own conceits.

In this episode we look at what same-mindedness actually means, because Paul is not calling everyone to agree on everything. He is describing a posture of mutuality. A willingness to be as interested in what someone else is carrying as you are in what you are carrying.

We also sit with the command to associate with the humble, which is more countercultural than it sounds in a ministry environment that quietly rewards proximity to impressive people and impressive platforms.

And then the last phrase, which is the most convicting one for anyone who teaches or leads. Do not be wise in your own conceits. The role rewards having answers. And over time having answers can harden into a closed posture that looks like wisdom from the outside but is really just self-sufficiency.

This one is for anyone who has noticed they have been in the room more than they have been present in it.

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