Over the past several months, God has really been revealing a certain major sin issue that I have been nurturing for many years...PRIDE. Thankfully, His revelation has been gentle, non-stop, but gentle.
As long as I can remember, I have always felt like I was "the good one". The only way I can explain it is that I felt exempt from certain negative things that other people experienced. For instance, in 2nd grade, we had these weekly reports on animals or other things that we had to turn in. When the kids in my class didn't complete them, there was a consequence. One day, I forgot my report. I was mortified that I had forgotten it and even more mortified that I was punished for forgetting. After all, I was a "good kid" and forgetting was certainly not as bad as just not doing the report. The truth is, the reason for not having my work didn't matter - I didn't have it, plain and simple, so I received a punishment.
Pride is ugly. The Bible says God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5). In my weekly Bible Study and we are currently doing a study on hearing God speak by Priscilla Shirer (Tony Evans' daughter). One of the hindrances to hearing God's voice is pride and Priscilla has some significant thoughts on this sin condition.
She says: Pride causes us to think we can do more than we can and convinces us we deserve special treatment, recognition, or honor. Pride causes us to think less of others and too much of ourselves.
Priscilla, we've never met, yet you have me PEGGED!
She also says..."Pride is a distraction. It causes us to bypass important and pertinent issues because we are consumed with ourselves. Often Jesus wants to reveal important information to us, but our prideful hearts get in the way of our ability to hear the message. Humility, on the other hand, clears the pathway for us to hear God."
It has been very freeing to realize that I am NOT the "good one". In fact, nothing about Caroline is good at all. All the "good" things I do are still like filthy rags in God's sight. I have a problem and it's called sin. I can't save myself.
Thankfully, the story doesn't end there -
So, am I "cured" of my pride? Yes and No. Yes because Jesus died on the cross two thousand years ago and forgave it. Period. When God looks at me He doesn't see my pride and all the other things I struggle with- He see Jesus. And No because in the real world, while I'm still in my "Eggar Suit " (from Men In Black=)), I'll always be imperfect.
God, keep me mindful of where I've been so I will always know that it's You taking me wherever I go.
Amen.
3 coins in my pocket:
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and heart, Caro. The gospel is so freeing and you can never hear it enough, no matter how long or much you have heard it! Keep telling it to yourself! I love you!
pride is ugly. it makes sense why it's the root of all sin - it tells us we don't "need" God, or that we don't have to really "believe" what He says as total truth. i love the quote about it causing us to think we can do more than we can - which is totally my struggle. but it also in the "false pride" sense can shame us into not believing who Christ has called us to be. which is still focusing on us; how we're not "good" enough to be loved, and "we" won't ever make it, still having eyes on us, which tries to masks itself as self humility, but really is still pride. praise to Him, who is all goodness, truth, and light, and who sees us as holy and blameless, because of Christ.
I learned the hard way that insecurity or low self-esteem is also pride--not fun. Any kind of self-focus is PRIDE! Thanks for sharing, that takes humility. I miss you, friend!
Post a Comment