Devotional Time with God

Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.

Proverbs 13:10

It is stupid for me to be driven by pride. Pleasing people I don’t like. Accumulating wealth to impress others. People’s attention is short. People also get envious – and most of the time, devious. They’ll try to bring me down. They’ll try to put me down.

I must realize it’s godly wisdom that will save me. God’s words will lead me the correct way to live. Jesus is a perfect example of humility and strength. The righteous will remain standing, and the meek shall inherit the earth. (Psalm 37:10-11)

That’s God’s honest truth.

I’ve made progress before in getting my spiritual life fixed up (with God’s help), and resisted temptations to revert back to my old selfish and angry self.  But sometimes, the devil got a hold of me.  Sometimes I’m vulnerable.  Sometimes I relapse.

The reasons I relapse are due to the following:

I revert back to my own willpower.  God is in control of my life, but sometimes I want to take the wheel back and steer my life in the direction I want.  Bad Idea.  If it’s not His will, I won’t.  I can’t be so foolish to go at it with my own power. (Galatians 3:3)

I ignore the need the exercises for recovery.  That includes:

1. Admitting I need Good
2. Acknowledging God has the power to change me
3. Making commitment to let Christ control and care for me
4. Examining myself openly and honestly and then confessing my faults,
5. Submitting to the changes God wants to make in me.
6. Repairing relationships.

I don’t use my support.  The bible says, in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, I need others to help me.  I need that special someone to help me go through my issues.  I need him (or them) there to listen and counsel me.

I became prideful.  For me, this is a difficult urge to fight.  After years of bad habit, I couldn’t just throw it out overnight.  It’ll take a lot of effort on my part to get over this weakness.  Being prideful will prevent me from seeking help. As the song said,

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

James 4:10

It’s difficult to go through life without being “in control”.  When I have to depend on other people to help me through mundane stuff, it becomes totally unbearable.  My personality is a somewhat of a go-getter.  As much as I can, I create my own opportunities.  If there’s something that I believe I can’t control, I’ll just dismiss it and move on.  So naturally, I bounce through a lot of interests, hobbies, and relationships.  I’m never satisfied.  I’m never content.

I’ve always felt I had never accomplished anything good in my life.  I beat myself up with this feeling.  I felt guilty to having a very short attention span.  I felt lonely.  I felt sorry for myself.

I knew in my heart, this was not a good feeling.  I knew I had to do something, but didn’t know what.  Now that I found Jesus, it became abundantly clear that I wasn’t in control – never will!  He’s in control.  He’s the way, the truth, and the light.  If I just focus my eyes on Him, my purpose is clear.  My life becomes more fulfilling.

There were times that I held back giving up control and it was due to any of these combination:

1. Pride
2. Guilt
3. Fear
4. Worry
5. Doubt

My #1 is pride.  Raised in a rich family, my parents are the boss.  I’m raised to think like them.  It seems like an inherited trait.  I try my best to be the boss of everyone.  Then when I’m not, the other problem occurs:  doubt and guilt.  I would start questioning myself.  I would feel guilty of doing the wrong thing (or doing nothing).  Those feelings confused my life.  I wondered if I’d ever accomplish anything. I lost control.

Thank God for Jesus!  I can give my burdens to Him.  He helps me overcome all pride, guilt, fear, worry, and doubt!

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

tufo/omai (Tuphoo)

• to raise a smoke, to wrap in a mist
  • metaph.
    1. to make proud, puff up with pride, render insolent
    2. to be puffed up with haughtiness or pride
• to blind with pride or conceit, to render foolish or stupid
  • beclouded, besotted

Another way of saying this is someone who pretends they’re “elite”, or above anyone else in terms of their social status.  Academic people are like this too – where they think they’re smarter (and knows more) than everyone else.

Unfortunately, they’re just as prideful and foolish as everyone else who thinks they don’t need God.  I’ve seen so many who think they got it all together, and boast about it.  Making me look weak and insignificant.

But in the end, we are all accountable to God.  He will judge us on what we do on this earth.  He’s going to ask the question, have we been good stewards?  Have we used our God given talents to help others?  Have we followed Jesus’ teachings of humility and compassion?

We all must remember that we’re nothing without God.

They will… be puffed up with pride…

2 Timothy 3:4

u(perh/fanov (huperephanos)

1. showing one’s self above others, overtopping, conspicuous above others, pre-eminent
2. with an overweening estimate of one’s means or merits, despising others or even treating them with contempt, haughty

What I’ve noticed among the young people these days (20 something), is the amount of pride they have about themselves.  They haven’t done anything significant, yet they claim they’re on top of the world.  “Look what I’ve done!” they shouted.  They think they run this world.  They demand high salaries and want to work less hours.   They want recognition because they think they’re entitled to it.  They are young and beautiful, therefore they are the best.

The liberal media fans these “values” to them through their music, movies, and the internet.  They instilled ideas that doing whatever they want is the right way to do it.  The sad thing is, it’s also influencing the other generations, including the older ones.  Conform or be cast out.  Where have I heard that before?

Oh yeah… I’ve been there before.  I was young before.   I was a mean person before.  I claimed I was on top of this world before.

In fact, I wasn’t in control.  I wasn’t even on top of my own world!  I believed the lies of this world.  I had to be better than everyone else when in fact I wasn’t.  I tried to be, but failed miserably.

God showed me that I have to devote myself to Him.  The rest He’ll take care.  I don’t need to prove anything to anyone.  The only status I must  look for is being a friend of Jesus Christ.

For people will be… proud and arrogant…

2 Timothy 3:2

The men’s bible study group has been “postponed” indefinitely due to lack of attendance.  I decided to continue on with the study, 2 chapters at a time, and complete it.  Sort of my New Year’s resolution: Always finish what I’ve started.  God always does, and so will I.

Chapters 15-16:

• Isaiah prophesied destruction in Moab.
• The Moabites pride and arrogance was despised by God.  The Lord even wept for them.
• The destruction of Moab included drought and and famine.  The army would be destroyed.
• This destruction lasted 3 years.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

Grace is one of those concepts in the Bible that I’ve been struggling with.  How can God send Jesus to die without asking anything in return?  The grace of God, by His love to me, is freely given.  Freely given to set me free from the bondage of sin.  He doesn’t want anything in return.  It’s free! I just have to believe that I’ve received it so I may be saved.  He doesn’t require good works.  He doesn’t attach any strings.  Just have faith in Him and I shall experience the grace of God.  It’s that simple.  What a glorious concept!  It’s incomprehensible, mind boggling, and makes me feel small compared to God’s potential.  It’s the way it should be because I’m nothing without God.  I have no significance without God.  My pride and sin will be no more, thanks to Jesus who came to this earth and took my sins away.  Indeed, Jesus has given me everything for nothing.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:1-2

In order to love, it takes more than work.  It takes sacrifice.  Love is everything, but me.  Love is not selfish.  In fact, to love, it takes the following sacrifices:

• My Time
• My Superficiality
• My Agenda
• My Pride

When I love someone, I have to ask myself, do I give them my full attention?  Do I carve out the best of my time for them?  Love means I have to make the quality time.  In order to love, I must also dig deep below the surface, not just the usual “How are you?” and move on.  Stop and listen, make the time to get to know others.  Listen to their worries, concerns, and stories.  It’s not about me and my agenda.  Most of all, I must let go of my pride by not being judgemental and full of criticsm.

Only I can determine the depth of my relationship with others.  With God’s help, He’ll give me the strength to love sacrificially.

What area of my life am I holding back from God?

The Purpose Drive Life, p. 84

I like to plan my life. I don’t like surprises. Being prepared and having the ability to anticipate what’s going to happen next is what I considered my best ability. But, even with so much planning and preparation, I’m still not a perfect person. I can’t expect things to happen my way all the time. I will make mistakes. If there’s one glaring thing that I’ve been holding back, it’s my pride — my own sense of accomplishment. For what I’ve accomplished, I have to dedicate it to God, not for myself. My abilities are God given talents, so it is only right that I use them for His glory. This is what I have to remind myself, over and over. I must surrender to God for he hates the pride in me:

To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

Proverbs 8:13 (NIV)