Pride and Surrender
There’s pride, then there’s… well, pride.
Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.
Galatians 6:4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.
2 Corinthians 7:4 I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. I all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.
It is easy to become so consumed with ourselves and then, our thoughts drift far from God.
Psalm 10:4 says that In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
Provers 16;18-19 tells us that the consequences of pride are destructions and that it is better to be lowly (humble) in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.
Pride can easily keep us from taking that next step Jesus is calling us to.
That call could be to a relationship with him, to admit that we are sinners in need of a Savior and that we can’t do life on our own. Because when we put our faith in ourselves and our fellow man, we let pride sneak in. Pride tells us we can do it all on our own. As the Bible mentions, this is a path to destruction and comes before a hard fall.
Today, I want to challenge you to take a moment to reflect on your own life. Talk to the Lord about areas in your life that you need to surrender to Him. Let’s lay down our pride. The first step is confessing our sin (pride) and asking Him to transform our hearts and minds. The next step is to continue to pray and talk to Him, read and study his word and finally, get plugged into a church and have fellowship with like-minded believers.
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What’s in your heart? Where is your treasure?
Scripture often reminds me of how much Jesus knew about what was in the hearts of people. Of course He did, He is God! The heart – the center of our being, not just physically but in a spiritual sense – is what motivates who we are and what we do. The Bible talks about the heart almost 1000 times.
The Lord says that “the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked” Jeremiah 17:9. This sounds pretty harsh, but God through Jeremiah was issuing a warning for us to be mindful of who we are in the natural….sinners.
The best example of this can be seen in toddlers
King David – an example of repentance and consequences
But wait, didn’t David fail in a big way when he committed adultery and murder to cover it up? Yes, he did. Here’s the thing though. In Psalm 51, King David pleads with God to create a clean heart in him after he commits these sins. Because of his repentance, he was restored but not without consequence.
The good news? God restores us when we are honestly sorry, ask for forgiveness and learn from our sin. This means turning from that behavior in repentance, doing an about-face and choosing to walk in the light. But there are consequences to what we do, and it seems had David been using his time more wisely, practiced discipline and gone to battle with his men, this may not have happened.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also
I have heard it said that how a person spends their time and money tells others a lot about what matters to them. For the people of God, it should be obvious. Jesus tells us, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moths nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”—Matthew 6:19-21
This is pretty clear and there’s no ambiguity in this. Now, we are expected to be wise about taking care of and providing for our families which involves a certain level of planning, but it is planning with God at the center of it considering biblical principles. If our treasures are so earthly focused, making us no heavenly good in how we spend our time and money, there must be a realignment. In this me-focused world, it’s easy to get pulled into the “you deserve it” advertising, trying to keep up with what other family or friends have or are doing, or allowing social media platforms to consume too much of your time.
If this is you – and admittedly over the years sometimes it has been me – we need to take a breath, pray, and remember tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. We can use this reminder to refocus our priorities on storing up treasures in heaven, where moth and rust can’t destroy and thieves can’t break in and steal.
Today, let’s refocus our hearts on Christ, determine to have a heart after God and make His priorities our priorities. He knows your heart better than anyone, including all the good and the bad. It’s never too late to turn things around. With His help, you can.
If you would like to talk with someone about these things or know more about what it means to live life with Jesus, please contact us. We’d love to talk and pray with you.
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The Lord is Enough
Need to talk to someone across the country…text, call or facetime.
Our society is so fast paced we hardly have time to think about what we are actually doing each day. God forbid if the internet is out or an app doesn’t load right away. Our culture tells us we need more and we need it right now. Our human, sinful nature also tells us we need more of whatever “it” is and we need it right now. All the things we have in life that compete for our attention is mind boggling.
Over these 34 years of life the Lord has blessed me with, the Lord often gets a hold of my heart and tells me these three words.
I am enough for you.
God loves us and He will provide because He is enough, but there’s also a challenge to be content in every circumstance. We do very well at this when things are going our way. What about when things are falling apart…are we content?
I can honestly say that I’m not always content in every circumstance. With the Lord’s help I want to be the type of Christian that can say, even though my world may be falling apart, I am content in Jesus because he is all I need to see me through the storms of life.
The scriptures tell us that the Lord clothes the lilies of the valley in splendor and they do not labor or spin. Jesus tells us not to worry because we are loved, we are chosen, and He will take care of us too.
So, the next time you have the urge to want the next best thing or want your circumstances to be different, see if you can change your mindset. Instead of wanting more, choose contentment in Jesus instead.
Jireh, you are enough for us. Take a minute to soak this in:
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The Cost of Christmas
Christmas brings us back to the power of the gospel
Christmas reminds us that sin has a cost.
This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. John 3:16-17 (The Message)
Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Luke 2: 10-12 (NIV)
Christmas led to sacrifice
So when we celebrate Christmas, let’s remember this gift. The gift that brought healing of the soul. The gift that came at such a high price. Like his coming, our lives may be messy, but because of Jesus, they are beautiful.
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For His Name’s Sake
For you are my rock and my fortress; and for Your Name’s Sake you lead me and guide me. Psalm 31:3Thus says the Lord God; It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the Sake of My Holy Name … Ezekiel 36:22aAnd you will be hated by all for My Name’s Sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Matthew 10:22Nevertheless He saved them for His Name’s Sake, that He might make His mighty power known. l John 2:12
The Bible is not about me – it’s for me.
Our God is righteous.
What if my lifestyle isn’t upright?
We can show a frightened and stressed world there is a God who offers them peace and comfort.
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Jesus, the Bread of Life
While I was enjoying the bread, the Lord laid upon my heart thoughts about the Bread of Life.
Matthew 4
Matthew 26:26
John 6:33
John 6:51
I Corinthians 10:17
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