A part of being on this earth is imperfection. As humans, we tend to judge one another based off of those imperfections. This is called bullying, and it comes as a result of pride. President Ezra Taft Benson described perfectly what pride is and how it effects us.
"Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart, or core, is still missing. The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us...We are tempted daily to elevate ourselves above others and diminish them."
When we no longer have love or even an inclination of true kindness towards the people around us, we fall to pride. It truly is the stem and root to all other sins. It tells us that we are better than everyone else, therefore we are higher than the people around us. C.S. Lewis once said,
“Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. … It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone.”
- C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
God did not create us to be above or even beneath one another. Pride doesn't just come from the top down, but also from the bottom up. From the same talk, President Benson stated that,
"Most of us consider pride to be a sin of those on the top, such as the rich and the learned, looking down at the rest of us. (See 2 Ne. 9:42.) There is, however, a far more common ailment among us—and that is pride from the bottom looking up. It is manifest in so many ways, such as faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous."
There is no possible way that a person can treat another in such an un-Christlike way and feel good about themselves and even if they do, the effects are temporary. That is because nothing that comes from Satan is permanent. That isn't how it works. The only way to have true, lasting happiness is by following the example of Jesus Christ. Never have I read an account of Christ calling someone names. Never once have I read an account of Christ demeaning another person. Never once have I read an account of Christ complaining, exalting himself, or expressing jealousy of another. All of the accounts of the Savior are of love. In fact, when asked what the greatest commandment was, he responded,
"...Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
(Matthew 22: 37-39)
A good way to measure where we are on the path of following this is by answering a few questions.
1. Do you harbor a grudge against someone else?
2. Do you gossip, even when what you say may be true?
3. Do you exclude, push away, or punish others because of something they have done?
4. Do you secretly envy another?
5. Do you wish to cause harm to someone?
If you are hesitant in answering any of these, may I suggest a two word sermon given by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf-
Stop it.
It is that simple. We are here to act and not be acted upon. We have the ability to overcome the natural man tendencies that tell us it is ok to harm another person, or that it is right. Let us become more like the Savior and strive to develop charity for all those around us. If we have the goal to keep the commandments, we will love God. When we love God, we will see beyond the earthly imperfections of others. We will love them for who they are inherently- brothers and sisters of God right along with us. The best way to overcome pride and the effects of is praying for and developing a character of love. I have felt such a change in my own life as I have learned to love and forgive. I promise that it is possible to see past imperfections and love people for who they can become!
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