Puffed up

And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.   For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? - 1 Corinthians 4:6-7

We read a lot about being ‘puffed up.’ It’s a pretty simple Greek word. It mean ‘puffed up’ or ‘blown up.’ We might use the word arrogant to make it a human trait. It is proud and boastful. It is like a peacock strutting his stuff.

Everytime we read about puffed up it is negative. We read that love is not puffed up and hear we read about believers being puffed up. Why? In this case it is because of which of the Christian leaders they followed. ‘I am an Apollos man.’ I am a Cephas man!’ ‘Well, I am a Paul man!’

How crazy it that?

Pretty crazy – but I have seen that exact thing in my lifetime. People love to drop names and Christians are no different. If we happen to have some association, no matter how big or small, with some ‘big name’ Christian leader we want everyone to know it. Folks are always happy to prove on Facebook or Twitter when they have met or been with some famous Christian personality. Though my personality list is very small I can be quick to mention the big names, most of them with the Lord now, that I met or shared a meal with or spent time with.

That kind of personality cult following is normal for the world. God’s people though only have One to glorify in. We can only glory in the Lord.