This world teaches us that we need to look out for Number One. We need to strive to ride in first class, eat in fine restaurants and stay in five star hotels. We should get as many people to serve us as we can.
But who is the greatest in God's kingdom? And who will be remembered forever? Eternal glory awaits those who put others before themselves.
Monday, February 25, 2019
Monday, February 18, 2019
Giving Myself in Love
Jesus said that there was no greater love than to lay down one's life for his friends. Who are those friends? Is that what is expected of us? What is this love?
Monday, February 11, 2019
Bear with Me for More Than a Little While
Christians have a responsibility for each other. They are to go and get those who once walked with them with their God. They are to do so in the fruit of the Spirit. They are bring them back with gentleness. It's a big responsibility that bears big rewards.
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Watch Out If You Think You Are Humble
Most people do not think they have a problem with pride. In fact, many people think that pride is a good thing. They are right. Pride can be a good thing when it is a pride in what you have accomplished or in your children or even in your country or sports team or anything that you do not push upon others to gain advantage. Pride can be good until you expect some advantage, some compliment, some accolade for the thing you are proud of.
It is not enough to push away the compliments. Pride should not get in the way of the criticisms either. Pride does not accept the words of criticism. It not only rejects them, but because pride is so insidious, it surprises the proud with pain when it is attacked.
How do I know these things? It is through my pride that I have been hurt more than with any other sinful attitude. My pride does not see the advantage of any criticism. I even want to be praised for my humility.
Pride hides itself in many of the things we do. It may hide itself in godly things.
Luke 18:11-12 (ESV)
11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’
The Pharisee was doing godly things, but his motivation was pride. The godly actions hid the pride from the Pharisee. Sometimes people at church think they must be better than the people outside the church because they are doing godly things. Pride hides itself well.
Pride can originate in spiritual knowledge.
1 Corinthians 8:1-3 (ESV)
1 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
Paul was speaking of food offered to idols. He said that some of them had the spiritual knowledge of knowing what it meant to eat food offered to idols. Some thought of the idols as real. The spiritual knowledge recognized that the idols were not real. Therefore, the believer was neither better off nor less off by eating. However, this knowledge could not be the source of pride that made the ones with spiritual knowledge think they were greater than those who didn't know. God knew their hearts. There was no reason to be "puffed up."
Pride hardens the person to realize the pride.
Daniel 5:20 (ESV)
20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.
The king was humbled by God when he thought of himself as the greatest of all. He saw himself as better than anyone who had lived. His heart was so hardened that he didn't see it coming.
Pride deceived Satan.
Isaiah 14:12-14 (ESV)
12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!
13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’
Satan was the greatest of the angels. He was closest to God. Yet, he became prideful. It would have seemed that someone so close to God would have seen his own pride, but it overwhelmed him. I am not giving Satan a pass on his sin; I am simply stating how deceptive it is.
What are we to do if we cannot recognize pride within ourselves? We humble ourselves before the Holy Spirit and ask that the pride be purged from us even when we will not acknowledge it in ourselves. We ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the pride when we are criticized. We ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the pride when we are praised. We ask the Holy Spirit to reveal pride throughout the day because we will not see it and we are prone to be prideful. No one cures the problem of pride.
Our church has an Alcoholics Anonymous group. No one in the group is allowed to say they are cured of their alcoholism. Pride is the same except that it is a part of us in different degrees. No one is finally through with pride.
I know I'm not. And yes, that too may be a prideful statement.
It is not enough to push away the compliments. Pride should not get in the way of the criticisms either. Pride does not accept the words of criticism. It not only rejects them, but because pride is so insidious, it surprises the proud with pain when it is attacked.
How do I know these things? It is through my pride that I have been hurt more than with any other sinful attitude. My pride does not see the advantage of any criticism. I even want to be praised for my humility.
Pride hides itself in many of the things we do. It may hide itself in godly things.
Luke 18:11-12 (ESV)
11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’
The Pharisee was doing godly things, but his motivation was pride. The godly actions hid the pride from the Pharisee. Sometimes people at church think they must be better than the people outside the church because they are doing godly things. Pride hides itself well.
Pride can originate in spiritual knowledge.
1 Corinthians 8:1-3 (ESV)
1 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
Paul was speaking of food offered to idols. He said that some of them had the spiritual knowledge of knowing what it meant to eat food offered to idols. Some thought of the idols as real. The spiritual knowledge recognized that the idols were not real. Therefore, the believer was neither better off nor less off by eating. However, this knowledge could not be the source of pride that made the ones with spiritual knowledge think they were greater than those who didn't know. God knew their hearts. There was no reason to be "puffed up."
Pride hardens the person to realize the pride.
Daniel 5:20 (ESV)
20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.
The king was humbled by God when he thought of himself as the greatest of all. He saw himself as better than anyone who had lived. His heart was so hardened that he didn't see it coming.
Pride deceived Satan.
Isaiah 14:12-14 (ESV)
12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!
13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’
Satan was the greatest of the angels. He was closest to God. Yet, he became prideful. It would have seemed that someone so close to God would have seen his own pride, but it overwhelmed him. I am not giving Satan a pass on his sin; I am simply stating how deceptive it is.
What are we to do if we cannot recognize pride within ourselves? We humble ourselves before the Holy Spirit and ask that the pride be purged from us even when we will not acknowledge it in ourselves. We ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the pride when we are criticized. We ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the pride when we are praised. We ask the Holy Spirit to reveal pride throughout the day because we will not see it and we are prone to be prideful. No one cures the problem of pride.
Our church has an Alcoholics Anonymous group. No one in the group is allowed to say they are cured of their alcoholism. Pride is the same except that it is a part of us in different degrees. No one is finally through with pride.
I know I'm not. And yes, that too may be a prideful statement.
Monday, February 4, 2019
Forgiveness Is Godly - Not Easy
Why do we hold onto our hurts? Wouldn't it be better for us to forgive those who have wronged us and go on with our lives? What keeps us from doing so? Why should we forfeit peace for resentment?
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