A shocking discovery has been made this morning. Not
shocking because it’s hard to believe but shocking because of how present it is
and how oblivious I’ve been to it.
Pride.
It’s funny how pride works. My pride almost kept me from
reading that specific chapter in a book because I thought to myself, that’s the
least of my worries. I don’t struggle with pride too much…
Unexpectedly, I realized that every other problem &
stronghold I had been trying to overcome (unsuccessfully might I add) was
deeply rooted in pride.
Unbelief- pride causes my beliefs to waver. If I am
worshipping myself it makes it awfully hard to worship God.
Insecurity- I’m insecure because I look at myself too much.
I’ve noticed that when my eyes are looking at the glory of God, I don’t have
racing thoughts of insecurity. Instead, I’m so absorbed in his majesty that
looking away to stare at myself is no longer appealing.
Pride steals my contentment because it causes me to believe
that I deserve much more than I have been given. False! I don’t deserve crowns
and riches, I don’t deserve a glorious inheritance, but God gives anyways. That’s
like a criminal being dissatisfied because they believe they should be on the
cover of a magazine or receive some sort of an award because they think they’re
a good person. Pride causes me to
believe that by my own merit, I am deserving of what God gives. A more truthful
look at things reminds me that “it is by grace you have been saved, through
faith. And this is not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
Satan tries to convince me that I am “well” and don’t need
to call on the help of a doctor. The reality is that I’m desperately and ill
and that by not calling on the Lord for help I am choosing to let a treatable
illness (treatable by His strength only) progress so far that it becomes fatal.
Pride kills us! It keeps us from asking for the help that will save us.
Because of my pride, I would rather die than admit that I
need help. The only dying that should be taking place is death to myself, not
death as a result of stubbornness.
Pride keeps me from worshiping the Lord and loving him with
all my heart, mind, and soul.
Pride has convinced me that God’s plan for my life should
parallel my own plans, and that if it doesn’t I don’t need to acknowledge it.
Although a fresh perspective on my sin can tempt me to
despair, as I look to God and from myself I realize that I don’t stand condemned.
His word reassures me that “where sin abounded, grace abounded more.” So as I
acknowledge the sin that my deceitful heart has fostered for so long, I accept
the grace freely given and ask for the Lord to make me well.
