"dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 john 3:18
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 last weekend, the fib team made a 4 and a half hour trek to longview, texas for the (absolutely wonderful, totally recommended) feminar conference. while we do have a detailed post, complete with pictures, videos, and funny stories, in the mix... i'll simply say for now---it was worth every mile. the speakers were fantastic, the music was uplifting, and God, well, He was messing with me-like, really, really, messing with me, and not in the big-brother-i'm-gonna-tell-you-apples-taste-better-when-you-bang-them-against-your-head-first-cause-it's-funny-to-watch-you-do-it sense of the word (yes, that really happened to me).
God was messing with me in the deepest, most hidden corners of my heart. i'm talking about the areas only He even knew existed, the areas i am hesitant (and by hesitant i mean scared out of my mind) to acknowledge because they are, quite honestly, embarrassing. embarrassing for a girl who is supposed to understand her worth in the eyes of her creator. embarrassing for a girl who is supposed to worship God, and God alone. embarrassing for a girl who has to admit she practices idolatry.  because there are so many different faces, angles, and manifestations of pride, i have really struggled with wrapping my mind around this post. almost every sin we commit is rooted in pride; from eve's desire to know what God knew in the garden of eden to our struggles with forgiveness, control, and doubt, every individual in every generation since the beginning of creation has battled with pride in one way or another (well, except One!). i'll be honest, it's the "in one way or another" that overwhelms me. how can i possibly address everything about pride in one short little post?
God makes it clear in scripture, however, that the issue of pride is incredibly important to Him, which means, of course... it should be incredibly important to us. i don't think "this topic overwhelms me" would be a very good excuse to avoid writing about pride, considering the endless amount of attention and emphasis God places on it in His word. as much as i tried to convince myself i should write about something (anything!) else, God continued to lay a few very pointed scriptures on my heart over the last few days...  "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but do not get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit He caused live in us envies intensely? But He gives us more grace. That is why scripture says 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'  In putting my words, thoughts, OPINIONS, experiences, etc. on the world wide web for all to see, I feel it's not only appropriate but immenent to the survival of this site, that I make a disclaimer....about myself.
I am not a person of authority, neither in a house of worship or in any self-appointed, self-righteous corner of my imagination. I am simply a follower. I am also, as are we all, a sinner. My faith is honest and true, my words, thoughts, opinions in my blog, all come from my heart. I'm not, nor will I ever, claim I live exactly as I should-I will also not be hypocritical enough to insinuate that all of this is some kind of "do as I say not as I do" sort of message. |  get our blog delivered straight to your inbox!
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