Attacking Pride with Humility

 

Lord, have mercy on me a sinner! Today, I confessed my sin of pride.  Being vulnerable is not easy for me but by God's grace, I was able to share 4 ways in which pride has manifested itself in my life.

1.  Envy

2.  Critical Spirit and Harsh Tongue

3.  Caring what others think

4.  Attitude of independence from God

Envy has required a double cure for me in that I must practice contentment and I must practice love.  I practice contentment by being satisfied in God's goodness to me and I practice love by rejoicing in God's goodness for others.  My critical spirit and harsh tongue must learn to be kind and tenderhearted toward others. When I begin to care what others think about my faith in Jesus Christ, I am reminded of the Holy Scriptures which tell me to not be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  And, when my attitude of independence rises up, I must remember that life apart from Jesus cannot produce "a part" of Jesus.

Lord, have mercy on me a sinner.

We must attack our pride with humility. Pride is our enemy and humility is our friend. 1 Peter 5:5 reminds us that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.  We must confess our sin to God.  And, when we have behaved badly, we shouldn't run away from God but rather, we should run toward God. 

Hebrews 4:14-16 reminds us that we have a God who can empathize with us and we can approach God's throne of grace with confidence knowing that we will receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. 

Amen and Amen!

Wear Your Mask!

Are you there, God?  It's me, a parent in a pandemic and a city filled with racial unrest. 

I could really use

your help!

We know this season requires sacrifice

Help us be gentle with ourselves

As we show up

In unexpected ways and in unexpected days

We need Your help, O God.

We don't know how to hold

The weight of expectations

And we feel our limitations

As we navigate pressures

And parenting (NTI Instruction, Online School)

And politics (& Racial Unrest & Violence)

And a pandemic

We need Your help, O God.

Meet us here in our humanity

For your power is made perfect in weakness

And may the gentleness we give ourselves

Pour out in our interactions

With our families

And our neighbors

And even those who leave us scratching our heads

We need Your help, O God.

(Prayer by Liturgies for Parents)

I'm doing my best!

T