I have a couple of pet peeves, the first being when people talk on and on and aren’t interested in what others have to say and the second being when people seek to draw attention to themselves.
“If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed.” Mere Christianity. Thank you CS Lewis for nailing me. And it looks like I am not alone. There is plenty of evidence of this being a human issue in the Bible.
“The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘who can bring me down to the ground?'” Obadiah 3.
Lewis goes on to describe my condition, “A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” When my heart is too preoccupied with self worship, I turn away from the love of God:
“The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground…His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, not his delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.” Psalm 147:6, 10.
The apostle Peter saw the perfect love of God in the humility of Jesus. The very God who could squash him like a bug, bent down and washed his feet. Shortly thereafter, Peter denied Jesus not once, but three times and Jesus still went to the Cross and died for him. What Jesus did for Peter, He does for us. What Peter witnessed gave him the authority to speak these words:
“All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” 1 Peter 5:5-6.
Dearest Lord Jesus, forgive my vain heart. Thank you for repeatedly breaking those ridiculous shackles of pride that I willingly slip my feet into. Rid me of the lethal pride that keeps me from seeing You at work in this day. Thank you for your patience and grace in ALWAYS inviting me back home into your goodness. Amen.
klueh
Sixty-six books in a year 