Luke 11:1-4
Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” So He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
[c]Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.”
The word pride and the heart behind it makes me want to throw up chunks. Because it’s the very place where God found me, in my pride. The same place where He found Adam and Eve and you too, Lord Willing.
I forget that my life is not my own and forget that Jesus Is The Life
And I forget to give thanks In all circumstances. These 3 Truths forgotten reveal the disease and sin of pride.
Being pride month (is there a Humble month?), it just occured to me that the instructions my mom gave my sister and I at the end of May was to pray the Lord’s prayer 3 times a day for 3 weeks (Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:1-4). I didn’t ask her what made her tell us to do that, I just did it because I love God and I love her. So as I have, The Lord reveals His Truth about Who He is and what I need. More Grace which begets Humble submission to Him. Trust In Him. That my reasoning, my justifying, and valid points that tempt me and seem necessary for me to make, pale in comparison to The Holiness of God. I need God. Who do I think I am to battle against flesh and blood? Why do I insist on battling horizontally when God has clearly directed and instructed me to Seek Him Above.
The people of God are still consumed with pride and the reason I know is because I too am tempted and can get caught in the trap. But we don’t confess, instead we are Tempted to reason. Tempted to justify. Tempted to deflect and blame shift. Have you taken the bait of Satan caught by your sinful flesh? Pride (wanting ones own way) has destroyed, damaged and caused destruction in our own lives and those around us. But still, we think “he’s worse” because pride. It’s a disease that permeates even the heart with “good intentions”. That too, is pride.
I have seen humility in action through my Savior Jesus Christ. I have zero tolerance for me to make my way. Rachel do not put confidence in the flesh. God has grown me up in the valley of tears to want God’s Way. His Life is much better than mine. I want nothing of this life, only Jesus. Even in my feeble attempts to want to reconcile relationships, I want them little compared to the glorious relationship with God. I praise God for My Treasure, My Comforter, My Friend. Because In Him I could love anyone because He Loved me. I’m a witness and I’m here by the grace of God to testify to His Glory.
PRIDE, n.
- Inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one’s own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, accomplishments, rank or elevation in office, which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often in contempt of others.
Martial pride looks down on industry.
Pride goeth before destruction. Prov.16.
Pride that dines on vanity, sups on contempt.
All pride is abject and mean.
Those that walk in pride he is able to abase. Dan.4. - Insolence; rude treatment of others; insolent exultation.
That hardly we escap’d the pride of France. - Generous elation of heart; a noble self-esteem springing from a consciousness of worth.
The honest pride of conscious virtue. - Elevation; loftiness.
A falcon tow’ring in her pride of place. - Decoration; ornament; beauty displayed.
Whose lofty trees, clad with summer’s pride.
Be his this sword
Whose ivory sheath, inwrought with curious pride,
Adds graceful terror to the wearer’s side. - Splendid show; ostentation.
Is this array, the war of either side
Through Athens pass’d with military pride. - That of which men are proud; that which excites boasting.
I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. Zech.9. Zeph.3. - Excitement of the sexual appetite in a female beast.
- Proud persons. Ps.36.
PRIDE, v.t. With the reciprocal pronoun, to pride one’s self, to indulge pride; to take pride; to value one’s self; to gratify self-esteem. They pride themselves in their wealth, dress or equipage. He prides himself in his achievements.
For those struggling with The Life.
In His Love,
Rachel
His Crowned Jewel 