Humanity's Biggest Problem!
Pride... it shows its face in a plethora of ways that can be seen in daily life. I see it in my life and I see it in many, many other situations. From stubbornness to out right defiance, pride can creep into our lives and destroys how we were designed to thrive. We were designed to thrive in a relationship with God! It is true that we live in a fallen world, and the moment Adam sinned against God, was the moment the relationship was radically affected. Death, or shall I say separation, became humanity's new reality. God, in His grace, promised a redeemer in Gen. 3, which was fulfilled in Christ, crucified and risen. Humanity has a redeemer, if they would humble themselves, let go of self, and turn the deed of their heart over to Christ. To redeem means to "buy back". Christ, through His death paid a redeemers price to buy humanity back... but from what? From death! Yes, His death can bring you and I life... or rather a reconciled relationship with God. What does this have to do with pride?
It has everything to do with pride, because it is pride that brought us death, and pride that will keep us dead. It is pride that will bring about the opposing hand of God rather than His grace! He gives grace to the humble, but opposes the proud (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5)! That idea is often repeated in the Scripture because it is true. As a believer, I know that my pride keeps me from enjoying God. I want things my way, I think too highly of myself, or I pursue my own glory. "Hey world, look at me! Am I not significant!" Those words will never come out of my mouth, but oh how easily they can come out of my heart.
Why do I say that pride is humanity's biggest problem? Because we have lost our sense of the greatness of God's glory, and have become entitled to self-gratification and glorification.
Self-gratification says, "I will do and think what I want to think!" "I am the captain of my own ship!" What we choose to do in our own lives is born out of ambition that eliminates God from the picture, or at best keeps Him in the picture in some functionally insignificant way. We seek to please ourselves and we compromise the Glory of Christ along the way.
Self-glorification becomes this process of making ourselves significant apart from God. We all want our lives to matter, but matter for what? As a believer, created in the image of God for the purpose of a relationship with God, I can say with confidence that if we labor to make our lives count for anything other than the Glory of God, then we fall into self-glorification. Do you seek to make your life meaningful through material wealth? power? humanitarian work? attention? performance? or your intellect? It is true that none of these things in and of themselves are evil, but if they are the means to your own significance, then you have missed the bigger picture. You were created for the glory of God, and it is only through a relationship with Him made possible through Christ that you can possibly find true significance. So searching for significance through any other means is an act of pride... "I know better than my Creator!"
Why do people have a problem with authority structures in their life? Pride! Why are people so argumentative? Pride! Why do people refuse to hand over the deed of their life to Christ? Pride! Why do people search for meaning in their life apart from God? Pride! Why do people try to explain all of life as natural processes; therefore, eliminating God or anything supernatural, as a possible solution to any question... even the deeper questions that they cannot answer themselves? Pride! Why do we want to bite someone's head off when they challenge us? Pride! Why do we get defensive? Pride. We do we want people to like our Facebook status? Pride!
This is not a condemnation, for we all struggle with this... as a matter of fact I would say that it is at the heart of our sinful nature. We are bent toward self... even our motives can seem pure but yet tainted by selfish ambition. No, this is just an affirmation of reality, so that we might consciously and intentionally humble ourselves! I heard a message (I think by Tim Keller) that humbling one's self is a doing thing, not a state of being. We must choose to act in humble ways! We must choose to think in humble ways! It is a choice to reject pride's empty philosophy and seek the Glory of Christ!
Pride is a huge problem! Humility is the first step to the enjoyment of God; thus life itself. "Humble yourself before the Lord, and He will lift you up (James 4:10)." That is a promise I have experienced to be true!
It has everything to do with pride, because it is pride that brought us death, and pride that will keep us dead. It is pride that will bring about the opposing hand of God rather than His grace! He gives grace to the humble, but opposes the proud (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5)! That idea is often repeated in the Scripture because it is true. As a believer, I know that my pride keeps me from enjoying God. I want things my way, I think too highly of myself, or I pursue my own glory. "Hey world, look at me! Am I not significant!" Those words will never come out of my mouth, but oh how easily they can come out of my heart.
Why do I say that pride is humanity's biggest problem? Because we have lost our sense of the greatness of God's glory, and have become entitled to self-gratification and glorification.
Self-gratification says, "I will do and think what I want to think!" "I am the captain of my own ship!" What we choose to do in our own lives is born out of ambition that eliminates God from the picture, or at best keeps Him in the picture in some functionally insignificant way. We seek to please ourselves and we compromise the Glory of Christ along the way.
Self-glorification becomes this process of making ourselves significant apart from God. We all want our lives to matter, but matter for what? As a believer, created in the image of God for the purpose of a relationship with God, I can say with confidence that if we labor to make our lives count for anything other than the Glory of God, then we fall into self-glorification. Do you seek to make your life meaningful through material wealth? power? humanitarian work? attention? performance? or your intellect? It is true that none of these things in and of themselves are evil, but if they are the means to your own significance, then you have missed the bigger picture. You were created for the glory of God, and it is only through a relationship with Him made possible through Christ that you can possibly find true significance. So searching for significance through any other means is an act of pride... "I know better than my Creator!"
Why do people have a problem with authority structures in their life? Pride! Why are people so argumentative? Pride! Why do people refuse to hand over the deed of their life to Christ? Pride! Why do people search for meaning in their life apart from God? Pride! Why do people try to explain all of life as natural processes; therefore, eliminating God or anything supernatural, as a possible solution to any question... even the deeper questions that they cannot answer themselves? Pride! Why do we want to bite someone's head off when they challenge us? Pride! Why do we get defensive? Pride. We do we want people to like our Facebook status? Pride!
This is not a condemnation, for we all struggle with this... as a matter of fact I would say that it is at the heart of our sinful nature. We are bent toward self... even our motives can seem pure but yet tainted by selfish ambition. No, this is just an affirmation of reality, so that we might consciously and intentionally humble ourselves! I heard a message (I think by Tim Keller) that humbling one's self is a doing thing, not a state of being. We must choose to act in humble ways! We must choose to think in humble ways! It is a choice to reject pride's empty philosophy and seek the Glory of Christ!
Pride is a huge problem! Humility is the first step to the enjoyment of God; thus life itself. "Humble yourself before the Lord, and He will lift you up (James 4:10)." That is a promise I have experienced to be true!
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