Pride

 

• I read this book by Charles Spurgeon called, “Faithful To Christ”, the first chapter was on Pride and gave me quite a lot to think about! 
• Especially this statement, “Pride is something that should be unnatural to us, for we have nothing to be proud of”. It kind of took me back. What? I’m not supposed to be proud of myself? Or my accomplishments? Or how far I’ve come?
• But as I thought about it, I noticed something. “My accomplishments”, “I’ve come”, “Myself”? Where’s God? Reminded me of the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:16-19. What struck me about this one,  was how the farmer never gives any gratitude to God for all he's been given. It's all about what he's done. Don’t I or we do the same thing? But if you think about it, it’s God who gives us our abilities. God who helps us accomplish all that we’ve done. God who has brought us this far.
• In Exodus 4:11, God reminds Moses, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” And in 2 Corinthians 3:5, Paul says, “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.” Again, in Philippians 2:13, we are reminded “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” In James 1:17, we are reminded that every good and perfect gift is from God.
• Now, I don’t think it’s wrong to be proud of ourselves as long as we remember it is God who has given us our abilities. As long as we remember to give Him the credit or glory. For as Jesus reminds us, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬). 

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