- Self-praise stinks. Every time I hear one of our politicians boast to an international audience that we are the greatest nation the world has ever seen, I cringe. First of all it's not true and secondly it tells everyone else that their nations are second or third rate. It's an insult. Diplomacy is not a football game whereby silly fans hurl insults back and forth. Boasting insults even our best friends (Proverbs 27:1).
- Boasting blinds us to reality. When the country faces dozens of major problems we need to take time out for a re-evaluation not burying our heads in the sands of self-flattery. While we massage our own national egos, our world neighbors are succeeding at becoming better educators, building better infrastructures and providing better health care. If we deny the truth, we will continue to gloss over our weaknesses. While we should be putting our nation in intensive care, we live in denial bragging that we are the healthiest of all people. There is more hope of a fool than a nation that is wise in its own conceit (Proverbs 26:12).
- Arrogance is not patriotism. The McCarthyists among us have sought to shut the mouths of those who expose our national sins, who opposed wars, torture, imprisonment without due process, government and corporate corruption. But if we don't acknowledge our sins, how can we overcome them! Conceit causes failure whereas humility causes success. Without humility to admit that we may be wrong in the way we do some things, we will only continue along the path to self-destruction. If we see our way as the best, then we will continue to fail to learn from the remarkable successes of others. Arrogance causes us to be careless and hotheaded instead of cautious (Proverbs 14:16).
- Jingoism is not love of country. Such extreme chauvinism has been a black mark on our history for too long. Bellicose self-flattery is actually hatred of country, because it stops the process of change for the better. Narrow nationalistic pride only precedes a fall (Proverbs 16:18). Those who truly love their country are humble and thankful for God's abundant blessings, but are also willing to change for the better. Can we learn from our national sins and truly become a better peoples? Or will will we arrogantly go the way of ancient Rome? Only time will tell.
Baby on board
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Beyonce will be giving Blue Ivy a sibling in the near future.
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