"A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.” (Luke 6:45, NLT)
I have this issue with pride. It has been a constant struggle for me for as long as I can remember. As a young child my favorite statement was, “I know!” I didn’t want anyone thinking that they were teaching me anything new. I remember my Dad asking me, “Kristi, do you know everything?” (There was a definite sarcastic tone to his question.) Without blinking an eye I would reply, “Yes!”
As I got older I was forced to realize that I truly didn’t know everything. I also began to learn that people didn’t necessarily like someone who was a “know it all”. Consequently, my pride surfaced through another route and I became extremely talented at handing out my “verbal resume”. You know what I’m talking about, right? It’s when you boast about your connections and share your achievements. Essentially the goal is to promote yourself.
As I grew in my relationship with God, I became convicted about this issue in my life. I knew it needed to be eradicated. Admittedly it was a difficult process but I began to see some improvement. For example, I consciously didn’t tell people that it was my idea they were using. I kept my mouth shut when I wanted to share whom I had been with or what I had accomplished. It was a slow and painful process but I was encouraged with the growth I was seeing in my life.
However, one day God opened my eyes to the fact that I had been “fixing” my pride on the outside but not on the inside—I had neglected the root. It was as if I was putting a Band-Aid on cancer. I had been storing up, treasuring and holding onto pride in my heart. It looked like this: When I would see someone using my idea I wouldn’t tell him or her that it was my idea. But I would say this in my heart, “That was my idea! They’re using my idea!” I was harboring pride in my heart and it was seeping out of my pores. It seeped out through the tone of my voice, the rolling my eyes and my sarcastic comments.
The Bible speaks very clearly about the topic of pride. It is even mentioned as one of the seven deadly sins. It’s like a rotten seed that robs you of life, freedom and the ability to truly know that you are enough—separate from all your accomplishments. As Luke 6:45 demonstrates, what comes out of your mouth is truly what your heart believes. Sadly, what can come out of your heart is the rotten fruit of pride.
In my circumstance, I knew I needed open heart surgery. This was not something I could do on my own; I’d obviously tried but my efforts had failed horribly. As a result, I began to pray and ask God to cut the sin of pride out of my heart. I was tired of making myself god – I wanted Him to be God.
My surgery has been a tedious and painful process. I can’t say that pride has been totally eliminated but there is growth! After each surgery I recognize that my growth comes not from what I have done but from what He has done in me.
Where do you need to allow the surgeon’s hands in your heart? Maybe your struggle isn’t with pride but some other sin. Let’s acknowledge sin for the rotten fruit that it truly is and surrender to the cleansing power of Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Father, I want to acknowledge my pride (or any other sin) in my heart. Lord, I believe You are the most skilled surgeon and I can trust You with my heart—even when it hurts. Thank-you for exposing the hardness of my heart and I ask that You would pull out this root of pride. Thank-You that nothing is impossible with You because You are an almighty and powerful God. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen
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