Sunday February 2, 2020
I’m amazed at how many people are absolutely certain that they are the masters of their own destiny.
They think they control their lives. They think they make their own fate. They think they can bring things into existence by speaking them.
Common words: they think they…
Psalms 10:4 says “In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.”
Pride actually stops me from seeking the Lord! My prideful thoughts push God out of every equation in my life. When pride fills my house, God can’t get in the door.
Pride = wickedness
because I don’t acknowledge the Creator
because I set myself above God by thinking I can control things
because I set myself above others by thinking I am better than them
because it leaves me vulnerable to Satan’s schemes; he is the grand master, the originator of pride
because it closes my ears to the voice of the Lord
because it closes my heart to compassion for others
because it closes my heart to seeing God at work in my life
It’s no wonder the Lord hates pride so much. It cuts me off from him. How can we be close if my ego stands like a mountain between us? How can he soften my heart if I’ve built a wall of my trophies in front of him? How can he save me if I don’t think I need a Savior?
Pride says: Serve me.
Humility = Communion
Humility says: I’ll serve you.
We had Communion today in church. I was thinking about this verse in Psalms as I prayed in preparation. Humility asks me to remember my faults, to truthfully acknowledge my shortcomings – not to guilt me, rather so that I can enter into communion with him. So that I understand what Jesus did for me on the cross.
How can I come to him if I don’t need him? How can I remember what he did for me on the cross without also remembering my sin that he took away with his broken body and spilled blood?
Humility asks me to remember that I have nothing in myself that makes me worthy of the great price that was paid for my sin. It makes the gift all the greater because I don’t deserve it. Never have, never will. It’s all Jesus.
Pride spits on the cross.
Humility clings to it.
Lord, teach me to be humble. I surrender myself to you today and ask for forgiveness for the deep-rooted pride in my life that has separated me from you. Expose those areas in my life that I’ve carefully concealed – bring them to light so that communion with you rips them from my heart and I stand with arms out in surrender. Help me to keep seeking you for every facet of my life, help me to continually direct my thoughts towards you, I need your wisdom always before me.
I love you Lord!
reflect…
- What does pride look like in your life?
- When has pride caused you to make choices that were contrary to what the Lord would have wanted?
- How are you going to root out pride and replace it with humility in your life?