Never be wise in your own sight. Romans 12:16
There are two manifestations of pride that keep us from living in harmony. One is to think that we are better than others. The other is to think that we don’t need others.
The man who is wise in his own sight feels that he has all that he needs in himself. He doesn’t need to listen to others. The way he sees it, he already has all the wisdom he needs.
Paul speaks about this in 1 Corinthians. The church is the body of Christ and the body has different parts: “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you’” (1 Cor. 12:21).
The proud person is the one who thinks in his or her heart, I make my own decisions. I run my own life. I don’t need other Christians. Why would I want to be a member of a church?
The words “wise in your own sight” relate especially to the life of the mind. Always remember that there is an intellectual dimension to repentance as well as a moral one. “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts” (Isa. 55:7).
Repentance involves a change in our way as well as a change in our thoughts. There are ways of thinking that we must abandon. One of them is the self-sufficiency that says, “I have all the wisdom I need in myself.”
Where do you most relate to the description of being “wise in your own sight”?
