in need of grace...

When one careless action...
leads to a series of bad decisions...
causing a less than perfect outcome...
this self-centered perfectionist needs grace...

"But God opposes the proud

but gives grace to the humble."

James 4:6

The first step in accepting His grace...

comes in laying down pride...

Humble yourselves before the Lord,

and he will lift you up.

James 4:10

Grateful for His grace...

abounding beyond my sin...

But where sin increased, 

grace increased all the more...

Romans 5:20

Laying down perfectionism... and pride...

Resting in His much needed grace...

Amen...

ends and beginnings... patience and pride...

Working on a project today... I thought the end would never come...

At this writing... it's still not complete... but the design part is done...

The part causing frustration... finished...

As I worked... a Scripture came to mind... The end of a matter is better than its beginning...

And I consider why that's true...

I believe it's primarily because of the unknowns...

Not knowing how much longer it will take... or whether it will be completed at all...

We'd rather live with a bad ending than an unknown...

There is something about not knowing that can eat at us... cause anxiety... fear...

I realize... this perspective... lacks hope...

But hope that is seen is no hope at all.

Who hopes for what he already has?

But if we hope for what we do not yet have,

we wait for it patiently.

Romans 8:24-25

So here patience comes in... and unknowns certainly try our patience...

I look up the verse that came to mind earlier... and see I have not remembered the rest...

The end of a matter is better than its beginning,

and patience is better than pride.

Ecclesiastes 7:8

Patience is better than pride...

Yes... the end of a matter is better...

but on the way to the end...

we have an opportunity to exercise patience...

Perhaps the lack of patience... exposes depths of pride...

The needing to know... puts self in His place... 

expecting omniscience... and omnipotence... to be ours...

unwilling to wait... for what's to come...

not trusting Him... with the outcome...

Lord... help me to focus on what I hope for...

and not the unknowns...

Bless me with patience... remove... pride...

pride-full vanity...

So I see it now...
my obedience... a source of pride...
a pretty pathetic thing to be pride-full about...

A revelation... that sets me... free...

Free in the fact... it's not about me...
Free from striving...
Free to be...
Free to rest... in Him...

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:

"In repentance and rest is your salvation,

in quietness and trust is your strength..."

Isaiah 30:15 NIV

Lord Jesus... thank You for opening my eyes... to my pride-full vanity... thank You... for setting me free... through repentance... and rest... to pursue You... in quietness... and trust...

the insidious nature of pride...

The current treadmill read... and the audio-book in the van... both speak to His complete work on the cross... and our surrender to that work...

Our only need... to rest in Him...

Always, always, always seek the cross. It is there that we see our example for service and sacrifice to others. It is there that we get the power to serve and sacrifice for others. And it is there that we receive forgiveness when we fail in serving and sacrificing for others.

---Mark Chandler, To Live is Christ to Die is Gain

Always... always... always... seek the cross...

Nothing more is needed... but here is where I stumble... instead of seeking Him... I look to me...

What more can I do...?
Where did I fail... is it my fault they struggle...?
Look how far I am... from where I should be...

This attitude steals peace and joy... focuses only on what I still need to attain... and its root is pride...

The insidious nature of pride... it's not only found in the boasting... but anywhere eyes focus more on self... than on Him... self-pity... self-loathing... self-centeredness...

The reality is... I need nothing... and can do nothing... because in Him... by His grace... I have it all...

Pride looks to self... and its own involvement in salvation...

True humility... looks only to Him and the cross... thinks nothing of self...

Perverted pride... sees sin... as greater than His salvation...

True humility... receives conviction... asks forgiveness... steps back onto the narrow road (which just got a bit narrower)... and joyfully moves toward Him...

Herein lies the life free from the law of sin and death... and here is where the law of the Spirit of life is found...

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:1-2 ESV

The law... given to highlight sin... and the death it brings... 

...since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Romans 3:20 ESV

To live under the law... is to live by the flesh...

...with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Romans 7:25 ESV

Every time I move back under law... a veil comes between me... and Him... blinds me to His grace...

The law reveals our striving... to save self in our own strength...

Jesus came to fulfill the law... the only One who could... and set us free...

To walk with the Spirit... with no fear of breaking the law... is the law of life...

In Christ... we died too... and by faith... become free from the law of sin and death...

The only place to look is Him... pursue the Father through the Son by way of the Spirit... this is the law of life...

The enemy continually tries to draw us back under the law... because that is the place of sin and death... he does so through accusation... deceives us by using guilt... shame... reminding us of sin... failure... debts... tapping into deep areas of unbelief...

Beware... this trap... snare... that puts our eyes back on self... leads us away from Truth... and Life...

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

2Corinthians 3:5-6 ESV

Getting glimpses... of the new me... and the power and presence of the Spirit... all around...

Warned... afresh... about the insidious nature of pride...

Where do you tend to be drawn to self... instead of Him...?

Could it be... pride...?

a taste of discipleship

Obedience... abiding... self-denial... the three-strand cord... of discipleship...

Obedience... requires abiding... without abiding... resting in Him... we do not know what He wants us to do... and are unable to do it apart from Him...

"I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

John 15:5-6 HCSB

Obedience... requires self-denial... at times laying aside fear...

"...I said, 'You are my servant';

I have chosen you and have not rejected you.

So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ..."

Isaiah 41:9b-10 

...at other times... laying down pride...

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

James 4:10

Today... a taste of both...

But in the test... and rest... of abiding... I find peace... and joy... at seeing less of me... and more of Him...

"My Father is glorified by this:

that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples. ..."

John 15:8 HCSB

James 4: thoughts... part 5

Read James 4

He... the One who gives greater grace... than jealous wrath... says...

God resists the proud,

but gives grace to the humble.

It's just a thought... but the One full of grace... could even His resistance be a gift... a kindness...?

The proud... set on a path of self-destruction... in His wisdom... and love... He opposes... throws up stumbling blocks... in hopes of turning... and saving...

Before his downfall a man's heart is proud,

but humility comes before honor.

Proverbs 18:12

The fall of the proud... may be just the gift they need... to bring about a saving grace...

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace,

who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ,

will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

1Peter 4:10

ESV

It's just a thought...

lessons of kings...

In weakness... when the footing is unsure... we call on the Living God for help... but when strength returns... standing firm... our hearts turn... to other gods... dead... lifeless... idols...

I've seen it in my reading through... 2Chronicles... filled with kings who started well... followed God... then once strong... turned away... abandoned faith...

Asa... did what was good and right... but after 36 years... he relied on men instead of God...
Jehoshaphat... walked in the ways of David... God established his kingdom... but he repeatedly allied himself with the wicked...
Joash... did what was right in the eyes of the Lord... but when his priestly counsel died... he abandoned the house of the Lord and served idols...
Amaziah... did what was right... but after a military victory... he set up gods and worshiped them...
Uzziah... sought God... but when he was strong... he grew proud... to his destruction...

King after king... in the uncertain beginning... they sought the Lord... but once established... strength gained... they rejected the way of the Lord... they did what was right in their own eyes...

The failings of kings... echoed... in the account of a friend from a friend... footing regained after crisis... forgetting Who provided... Who made it possible to breathe... now seeking answers... reasonings... far from faith... rejecting Truth...

Strength... makes us proud... perhaps we can avoid a fall...

All Scripture... God-breathed... useful for teaching... pay attention... learn the lessons of kings...

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm,

be careful that you don't fall!

1Corinthians 10:11-12

(emphasis mine)

warnings

Before entering the Promised Land, the Israelites were warned...

"...Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' ..."

Deuteronomy 8:17

ESV

"Do not say in your heart, after the Lord your God has thrust [the enemy] out before you, 'It is because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess the land'...

Deuteronomy 9:4

ESV

Beware of pride... when blessing enters in... success deceives: I did it... I'm better...

We have... only because God gave... for His glory...

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ... This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit...

John 15:5, 8

(emphasis mine)

All is from God and for God... He works in the lives of Believers to point the world to Him...

Beware... remember... it's not about you... do not steal God's glory for yourself...

Lord Jesus, remind me today that apart from You I am nothing... my next breath... next heartbeat... are gifts from You... May my life glorify You... point others to You...

pride: indicators & busters

two incidents this week...

broken dryer... trip to the laundromat... needing instruction...
pride buster

balking at son's impromptu request for mission team to shower at our house...
pride indicator

Any indicators or busters in your life this week?

Humble yourselves before the Lord,

and he will lift you up.

James 4:10

pride: the plug that keeps us from emptying

We are created in God's image and called to follow Him...
emptying ourselves for others out of love...
a feat virtually impossible for us...

pride... our downfall...

something God doesn't have...

A writer in World:
     Jesus stepped down, inconceivably down, to love. As if being wrapped in rags and placed in a feeding trough were not enough, He descended still further to a degrading death. The kind of death intended to reduce a human being to a piece of screaming meat: all dignity, all identity, even, consumed in a crawl of minutes. It would merely be pitiable if a well-meaning savior had stumbled into a death like that. But to volunteer for it, to actually debase Himself to such an extent -- didn't he have any pride?
     Well, no. Pride belongs to humans, not God. He doesn't need it. It's the pedestal we build to elevate ourselves, but He who makes the earth His footstool could hardly elevate Himself further.

Pride keeps us from stooping low...
from loving others more than ourselves...

I often hear people say that God doesn't expect us to be a doormat... we aren't supposed to let people walk all over us...
but Jesus...
He was the biggest doormat of all...
the world's filth -- past, present, future -- smeared all over Him...

Behold my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen, in whom my soul delights;

I have put my Spirit upon him;

he will bring forth justice to the nations.

He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,

or make it heard in the street;

a bruised reed he will not break,

and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;

he will faithfully bring forth justice.

He will not grow faint or be discouraged

till he has established justice in the earth;

and the coastlands wait for his law.

Isaiah 42:1-4

ESV

a humble Savior...
no pride...
only love...

How are we supposed to follow that?