Thursday, December 16, 2010
Humility and Pride
In recent days I was a party to a meeting that was uncomfortable for all involved. The meeting dealt with personal weakness and division. From this meeting I’ve asked Father God to help me understand more about myself in a way where I see the timber in my eye. My prayer is that God will constantly work out humility and love within me but still allow me balance in wisdom to help others. It is no secret the multiple failures we experience in life. To assume we have, by our own action, arrived over someone else is nothing but pride and anything but love. How then do we express loving correction without stepping over the line of humility?
Measured review of motive: Luke 18: 9 (NIV) To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: (Righteousness is from the Father and His love and sacrifice for me. I don’t want to assume a position in life where I am living in self righteousness. This will lead to destruction and damage the ability to share Kingdom with others. We all have weakness.)
Luke 18: 10-12 (Jesus tells a parable) “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ (The Pharisee had a lack of ability to see the self centered righteous condition of his heart. There is this attempt to psychologically place himself above sinners and the tax collector while the reality is his heart is no different or any less in need of the Savior. I need the Savior at all times for I am a fallen man in a fallen world. In spite of this, by Gods help, we can lovingly speak into others lives. Simultaneous to speaking into other lives I need to examine carefully my own.)
Luke 18: 13-14 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Father, please have mercy on me and on all who seek to serve you in Kingdom matters. May we be humble and prepared to love at all times. Forgive me for any selfish pride I’ve displayed. Heal any wound this action could have caused.)
Without a doubt pride will attempt to overtake us. Self will attempt to prioritize our goals if we fail to recognize our constant need to be on the alert.
In recent days I was a party to a meeting that was uncomfortable for all involved. The meeting dealt with personal weakness and division. From this meeting I’ve asked Father God to help me understand more about myself in a way where I see the timber in my eye. My prayer is that God will constantly work out humility and love within me but still allow me balance in wisdom to help others. It is no secret the multiple failures we experience in life. To assume we have, by our own action, arrived over someone else is nothing but pride and anything but love. How then do we express loving correction without stepping over the line of humility?
Measured review of motive: Luke 18: 9 (NIV) To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: (Righteousness is from the Father and His love and sacrifice for me. I don’t want to assume a position in life where I am living in self righteousness. This will lead to destruction and damage the ability to share Kingdom with others. We all have weakness.)
Luke 18: 10-12 (Jesus tells a parable) “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ (The Pharisee had a lack of ability to see the self centered righteous condition of his heart. There is this attempt to psychologically place himself above sinners and the tax collector while the reality is his heart is no different or any less in need of the Savior. I need the Savior at all times for I am a fallen man in a fallen world. In spite of this, by Gods help, we can lovingly speak into others lives. Simultaneous to speaking into other lives I need to examine carefully my own.)
Luke 18: 13-14 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Father, please have mercy on me and on all who seek to serve you in Kingdom matters. May we be humble and prepared to love at all times. Forgive me for any selfish pride I’ve displayed. Heal any wound this action could have caused.)
Without a doubt pride will attempt to overtake us. Self will attempt to prioritize our goals if we fail to recognize our constant need to be on the alert.
Labels: criticism, humility, Pride, self-righteousness, weaknesses
posted by Todd # 9:02 AM 
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