This week I have been thinking about Pride.
Pride ripped the kingdom away from Saul. Pride killed Samson. Pride caused David to sin (and lust as well-they run in the same crowd). It didn’t do much for Solomon either. Pride cometh before destruction, God resisteth the proud, and it is the third leg of that holds up world (“All that is in the world lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life”- I John 2:16). If you want to gum up the work of the Lord, get a big dose of Pride in your system. It is human nature to want to hear your own name, and not altogether virtuous to just hide away in the shadows. Some men will label a person with a bold personality as a prideful man; but God sees the heart (see I Samuel 17: 28 & 29). Others look at a man who is timed, and shy about his faith, and they assume he has great humility because he says nothing. When in fact he has no humility at all, this man is not humble he is prideful. He loves his own name and reputation so much, that he refuse to stand up and be bold for the gospel, thereby risking his own reputation. In any case, I don’t not believe it is humanity’s job to diagnose cases of pride (more often than not the beam is in your own eye, and it is a full time job getting that out). I would contend, no, I would challenge all men to simply give credit where credit is due (as I challenge you, I challenge myself, God help). In this light I write my “God forbid I should glory’s.”
God forbid I should glory in my occupation: it is a fine thing to do a good job. But do not glory in the fact that YOU did it by YOUR own hand and might. God help us to rather glory in the fact that you are an ambassador for Christ, and let your day to day work ethic reflect that of a Christian, through all the ups and downs of a work day. Help us to have a prudent and temperate demeanor; and perhaps someone will take notice and ask what drives this behavior. Then tell them, thereby giving him the glory in “tongue, deed and truth.”
God forbid I should glory in myself and my stuff: Did you create yourself? Your mind? Your thoughts? If you believe in God it is hard to argue that you truly “own” anything, perhaps the thing that is most ours is our soul (more and this later….maybe) The fact is, to the Christian, this body and the things of this life are “borrowed for a while.” If you truly have this outlook the temptation to idolize your things and covet the things of others is far less potent. Furthermore, it is hard to find pride in yourself and your things if you truly believe that they are God’s, so you do not glory in them you glory in God because he allows them to be yours. So what then, do when not take care of our: home, car, rooms, bodies because they are not truly ours? Good question, I am glad you asked. You care for them all the more. Consider this: If your father and mother leave for the weekend and put the house and all their possession in your charge, if you love them, would you not look after what they love? And when they return to find the house clean, neat and their possessions in good shape, would they say “well done?” So is the same charge God gives his sons and daughters to “keep” the gospel, our souls, and the Church (and what a charge it is).
Now what of those “things of life” we accumulate by simply living? I will say this, affluence has never been then friend of revivals and historically God has always blessed a people who were committed to careful living. Having said that I say this: “Seek first the Kingdom of God” and if he adds to you a life of wealth and riches then use it to advance his kingdom and glorify his Son; and beware of committing the converse error. That is, adding to yourself wealth and riches, whilst claiming to seek God and justifying your actions by saying I am working to gain so that I may give to his kingdom and his Son. God does not need you money (but the church will gladly accept it J). God requires far more than your money, he wants your all, and did he require any less of his own son? So to sum up, we have nothing to glory of when it comes to myself and my stuff…..give credit where credit is due.
Wow look at the time, sorry for the length (if you made it this far)…….. to be continued next week.
Thoughts, reactions, responses welcome……please send to pgcollins65@gmail.com (all e-mails will be kept confidential unless otherwise instructed.)
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