Tag: Pride

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Find True Joy

Psalms 16:11 NIV

[11] You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

I started selling on a new site and I’ve been pretty successful on it, so far. My first weekend I had 17 or so packages to go out. Now, this is the most packages I’ve ever had to send out at once. It was pretty cool. The mail lady was like “Wait. What?” Made me feel pretty proud of myself. But I never had that many again. The next pick up was only 5. The mail lady noticed and said something along the lines of “Huh… thought it’d be more…” Now I’ve noticed a bit of a look when I bring out my packages and it started to get to me.

See, that first weekend had a lot of packages but there wasn’t as many sales as the smaller packages. Those items were too large to pack together so they each needed individual boxes. I didn’t even make money on those several large boxes of items I lost money on them. But because it looked good on the outside it seemed like I was going backwards. But it was quite the opposite.

I ended up selling out of all of my inventory in just 5 days. The items were small so several items could fit in one box. My box count went down but my sales and profits both skyrocketed. The crazy part is that the subtle looks that I was getting actually started to discourage me. Then it hit me. My pride was hurt.

I was getting a good amount of sales both online and local pickups, but because the box count went down I was feeling defeated.

When we focus on what boosts our pride instead of how much we’ve been blessed by God, we begin to lose our joy. The LORD is our source of joy not random encounters with strangers, not how much we make, not how well we’re doing financially. God is our one and only source of joy. The moment we allow anything but God to be our source of joy is the moment we lose joy all together and trade it in for happiness.

Happiness is based on our emotions, feelings, surroundings, environment, other people, but joy that is based on the LORD. That isn’t shaken when it’s rooted in Him. That isn’t shaken when we build on the Rock.

When little things that are truly insignificant in the grand scheme of things bring you down, ask yourself “in whom or in what do I find my joy?”

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Find True Joy.

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Fight To Be Humble

Luke 18:9-14 NIV

[9] To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: [10] “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ [13]  “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.’ [14]  “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

A proud heart won’t pray sincerely. But the poor in spirit pray like the tax collector in Luke 18:13: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” That man, Jesus said, went home justified. Why? Because humility always gets heaven’s attention.

God always elevates the humble, but he humbles the proud. When God elevates us, it isn’t always physically in front of others so that they can see. Sometimes it’s spiritually. Sometimes it’s not in this life. God however, is always faithful. God doesn’t forget us.

Therefore, don’t think more of yourself than you ought. Never think yourself better than others. In this world pride will try to keep us from what God has in store for us, but if we remain humble, completely and entirely submitting ourselves to Him, then He is faithful to reward us with greater things than we could ever hope or imagine.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Fight To Be Humble. 

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Forgive To Uproot

[5] Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. [6] For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, [7] so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. [8] So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. [9] For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. [10] Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, [11] so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. ~ 2 Corinthians 2:1-11

I never really realized that this well-known verse I’ve quoted so many times was originally in the context of forgiveness. Unforgiveness sows seeds of bitterness within us. Seeds that are easily watered and grow into large strongholds giving birth to anger, pain, envy, and much more.

We forgive because the LORD God has forgiven us. He has given us another chance, taking our sin upon Himself so that we might not perish but have everlasting life.

Pride is one of the easiest strongholds to give into. It’s one that speaks to the flesh, and builds up the desires thereof. It promises to protect you and give you everything you’ve ever wanted. It consumes you and puts you into a spiritual sleep that keeps you from seeing the enemy’s attacks. He’ll use anyone and everyone he can in order to get bitterness planted within you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Forgive To Uproot.

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Build On The Rock

Matthew 7:24-27

[24]  Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. [25] And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. [26] And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. [27] And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

Over the years I’ve debated many different belief with many different people. Each and every debate started with the other person telling me I was wrong. And each time ended with me showing them Scripture after Scripture of why I wasn’t wrong to which they, 90% of the time, get upset, deflect, or straight up insult me then refuse to believe what the Bible says. Now, I don’t say all of this to make myself sound more than I am but show that it’s more important to base your beliefs on the Word of God than on our own personal opinions and feelings.

When we argue and debate on options and feelings instead of the word of God, it’s now no longer seeking Truth but seeking to prove yourself right out of pride. No matter how wise, smart, knowledgeable, or a genius we think we are, we cannot even compare to God’s foolishness, let alone his wisdom.

Therefore, build your life on the Word of God in Jesus, not on yourself. You, just like all of humanity, is only dust. We one day use all stand before the Creator and Judge wiser beyond comprehension or understanding. How can we try to compare ourselves to the Creator of knowledge and wisdom, when we are like the flower, here today and gone tomorrow?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Build On The Rock.

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The Weight of Humility

4 For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the humble with salvation. ~ Psalms 149:4

Humility is a difficult thing for most of us to grasp. It’s much more than just humbling ourselves before God and admitting that we’ve sinned and can’t save ourselves. It’s more than just saying we need God’s help in our everyday lives. Humility is also about how we interact with those around us. That’s why pride is probably one of the strongest strongholds gripping the Church today.

Rarely does the Church today try to crucify our flesh. Here’s what I mean: we’re quick to be offended but not quick to apologize. We want to get even. We want to be petty. And believe you me, I’m not excluded from this. I’m right there in that group of the Church that struggle with this. The other night, a simple conversation got heated between me and a friend for literally no reason. I said something truthful, and she was more than offended and then proceeded to say something hurtful. But I bit my tongue. I even apologized for the thing I said, even though I wasn’t the one in the wrong. But let me tell you, that humble pie kept me up all night.

I didn’t sleep that entire night because I was so upset that I had to apologize (conviction of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 5:23-24). In fact, I can’t even lie; I was kinda happy that she called me the next day at a time when I couldn’t answer the phone. Why? Because my flesh wasn’t happy with what my spirit did.

It’s extremely hard to be a Christian. I don’t understand the idea of telling people that serving God makes things easier. Because it doesn’t. Serving God means that you now have to pick up your cross and follow Him. You have to crucify your flesh daily. That’s not an easy task. It’s in our human nature to want to get even. It’s in our human nature to want to be petty, but we have to remember that we aren’t our own. We’ve been bought by a price. We belong to Christ. And if we belong to Christ, then vengeance, getting even, and putting people in check is no longer our right. It now belongs to Him.

Dear LORD, please help me to continue to crucify my flesh. Help me to grow my spirit man, so that when I force my flesh into submission, it will be obedient. Please continue to humble me and remove the spirit of pride from gripping me. Teach me to not return reviling with reviling, or anger with anger, or hurt with hurt, but help me to overcome all of these things with love. Teach me to turn the other cheek so that I might be a light in this dark world and point others back to You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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