STRENGTH FOR THE WEEK: Meeting Jesus
Seeing Pride
Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.”
Mark 10:13-16 NIV
PRIDE makes us:
- Think ourselves as far greater than we are. We think of ourselves more valued, higher, deserving, having the right than others, like looking through a microscope we only see one thing magnified. This form of pride blinds us from seeing the gifts God has provided and ultimately we take the place of God and view ourselves as the center of the universe. Everything else but ‘me’ seems small.
- See truly great things as small. We look at God as creator and see him as if we are looking through a telescope, as small and within our comprehension. This form of pride values the things that God has given above a relationship with God and people. Instead of being faithful we take advantage of those we view as beneath us, because we think they don’t add value to our lives.
- Lots our capacity to experience joy and wonder, because our focus is on ourselves. We view the world as if looking through a dimmed window, because we believe the lie of pride that happiness is found in self-exaltation. But this an beast that can never be satisfied, so we find ourselves forever hungering and not delighting in the good gifts around us.
It is pride that stops us from coming to Jesus and receiving his love and loving Him like the children did. The dangerous part with pride is that it is hard to see in ourselves. Pride is like termites in the wood of a house, which might look good from the outside but is rotten from the inside. Pride is dangerous.
We cannot remove our pride alone. We must ask Jesus to come into our lives and remove our pride. He does this by revealing to us the glory of his sacrifice on the cross. If pride is dwelling in your heart ask Jesus to lead you again to the cross where His love was poured out, His glory revealed, our value to Him expressed and our joy fulfilled.
Author: Kate Mkandawire
One Comment
This is powerful, thanks for this one