Worshiping God (not just on Sundays…) - Pride
Do you have an accurate picture of who you are and your abilities? Do you think you are the absolute best at something and no one can do it better? This is something that we will struggle with as Christians. We are naturally bent towards pride. Thankfully, though, when we trust and obey the Holy Spirit, we now have the ability to join in His nature and join in the fight against pride. It’s not an easy task, but we fight every day.
Worshiping God by Having a Correct Understanding of our Gifts
Part of learning to worship God is learning that God has stamped His nature on us through the Holy Spirit and beginning to realize when we do things that are contrary to His nature. How do we join in God’s nature, being able to fight our natural tendency for pride? Paul shares this in Romans 12:
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” Romans 12:3-5
My Struggle
It’s interesting that I have been enjoying and living by verses one and two of this chapter but never really thought about these verses until recently. I’ve come to examine my heart and really think about the fact that yes, I might be a little prideful at times. It has required a shift in my thinking, constant dependence on God, and prayer for forgiveness and grace every time I realize that I’m being prideful.
How about you? Are you cultivating a heart of humility, thinking of yourself “with sober judgment” and putting others first? Let’s take the journey together.
I’m going to be honest and say that I’m often blind to my own sins. I’m not saying that I’m not broken over my sins and I’m not convicted by the Holy Spirit to repent. But there are sins in my life that I’m unaware of until they’re brought to my attention or I’m forced to think about them.
Pride and lack of humility is one of them! I’m the only one in my youth group that spends his free time studying theology and reading Christian literature in hopes of being drawn closer to Christ. Unfortunately, this gives me a subconscious feeling of superiority (however slight it might be) and that’s definitely not good.
You asked if I (or anyone else) have an accurate picture of who I am. I firmly believe that no one will ever fully comprehend just how pitiful, filthy and worthless we are apart from the blood of Christ. But… that doesn’t mean we can’t strive to learn more about our own condition and the beauty of the Gospel!
Comment by Joel — June 11, 2008 @ 9:36 am
Right on, Joel. Like Bob Kauflin wrote in his book while talking to a friend about a sin the friend didn’t see. “But I just don’t see it!” Bob: “That’s why it’s called a blind spot!”
My pastor once told me that once you are able to conquer a sin in your life (with God’s help) that’s been clouding your view for a long time, you then realizes all the other issues you need to deal with!
You are correct about the accurate picture of us being worthless sinners, but praise God that He has made us new creations and that we now have hope confidence, assurance and sufficiency in Him. We also find our esteem in Him. It’s a balance isn’t it? We need to realize how sinful we are, but also how much we’ve been changed through Him!
Comment by Ryan — June 11, 2008 @ 9:46 am
Oh, for sure we have been recreated with a new nature! A new nature that inclines us towards the will of God rather than our own will. Though until our time on this earth is complete, we will always be more sinful than we realize about ourselves.
But the beauty is that the more we realize we’re sinful, the closer it draws us to Christ. Our complete worthlessness apart from Christ is what draws us to Him! Which is why Paul heeds us to never boast except in the cross of our Lord: we have nothing worth boasting about except what He has done for us.
For this reason I won’t be anguishing in my sin daily but I will have an everlasting hope in Christ. You are right when you say that we now have hope, confidence, assurance and sufficiency in Him and Him alone. Amen.
Comment by Joel — June 11, 2008 @ 9:58 am
These responses keep discussing the worthlessness of man. The worthlessness of man? Show me one teaching of Jesus saying man is worthless. I really get tired of hearing that type of ideology because I don’t believe it’s scriptural. Why do we continue to use that vocabulary then? Scripture seems to point in a different direction though, there is worth in mankind because he is made in the image of the Almighty. Is that image skewed and tainted? Definitely. That does not equal worthlessness. Let’s quit talking with that language. God doesn’t, and it’s destructive.
Comment by jeremy — July 28, 2008 @ 10:32 am
Hey Jeremy, thanks for stopping by. I can’t do it off hand - but I’ll post a comment later taking a look at our worth compared to who God is from Scripture. I actually think it’s a good thing that there are a lot of Scriptures that talk about man’s worthlessness (without God anyway), it helps me rely on God and not myself. And thankfully - we’ve been made worthy through the blood of Jesus Christ.
I’ll post Scripture later. I would love to see some Scriptural references from you as well.
You are right though - that often we can wallow in self-pity and lament the fact that we are sinners and forget the fact that Grace has saved us and called us to joyful action.
Comment by Ryan Egan — July 28, 2008 @ 10:40 am