The King James Version of this passage uses the words “not puffed up” instead of arrogant. While I think the word arrogant is very descriptive, the phrase puffed up also conveys a deep meaning. Consider the following analogy which uses a very familiar food, corn.
A tiny piece of dry corn by itself is hard, inedible and almost useless apart from two main uses. The first use of dried corn kernels is to make popcorn. When you add very hot air to dry corn, a kernel will respond by expanding its cell wall and becoming fluffy.
Now think figuratively about what happens to people we describe as being full of hot air. They become prideful, conceited and arrogant. Being arrogant has been defined by Webster as “giving one’s self an undue degree of importance.” God warns in Proverbs 8:13 that He hates arrogancy.
The original Hebrew word for hate means much more than simple disdain or a deep dislike. It literally means that the hate is so deeply rooted that you become an enemy and foe to an individual. Scripture often states that arrogance is an attribute found in the lives of those who are enemies of God.
Many times, I have found myself guilty of having an arrogant spirit. It is easy to become arrogant in my Christian walk by the way I communicate with others. Do you have a “holier-than-thou” attitude? Remember, one of Christ’s greatest characteristics was that He was meek and lowly. Meekness does not imply weakness; it is simply strength under the control of God Almighty.
The second main use for corn offers a powerful description of how to overcome a spirit of arrogance. Instead of applying hot air to the kernels, the corn comes under intense pressure which results in it being crushed and ultimately ground to powder. Cornmeal, because it has been ground and refined, has far more uses than popcorn. In the same way, a believer who has allowed himself to be pressured and refined by the Lord will be more useful in drawing others to Christ than someone who is full of hot air and himself.
By allowing the Lord to remove the impurities from our hearts and lives, we will be able to withstand an arrogant spirit. Ask the Lord to remove those areas of your heart which have become hardened and you will learn to love without being puffed up.
This article is part of the “Love Lessons from 1 Corinthians 13″ series. You can view the introduction to the series here.
