{"id":247,"date":"2008-07-29T09:36:06","date_gmt":"2008-07-29T15:36:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/iamanoffering.com\/blog\/?p=247"},"modified":"2011-03-12T19:48:10","modified_gmt":"2011-03-13T01:48:10","slug":"pride","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iamanoffering.com\/blog\/pride\/","title":{"rendered":"Pride."},"content":{"rendered":"

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I have to make a confession<\/a> today.\u00a0 What I’d like to confess is that I want this blog only to be used for the glory of Jesus Christ and to lift Him up.\u00a0 What I’d like<\/strong><\/em> to confess is that I don’t want to use this blog to spread my <\/strong><\/em>name.\u00a0 But, what I’m confessing is a<\/strong>ctually the exact opposite<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 My human nature is fighting, fighting with the fact that I know I need to give up my thoughts of spreading the word about what I<\/strong><\/em> write.\u00a0 My human nature is fighting the fact that when I look at my stats and see them rising I know that it shouldn’t matter.\u00a0 My human nature is fighting pride.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

God’s Name or Our Name?<\/h3>\n

Especially as bloggers – we tend to do what we can to build our followers, promote our blogs, trade links, whatever – but why? <\/strong><\/em>Are we truly doing it so that God’s glory can be known and exalted through our blogs – or are we doing it so that our name<\/strong><\/em> can be known?\u00a0 I don’t know about you, but I am fearful that there will be a constant struggle for me as I write and continue to make new acquaintances that I will want more and more to promote myself.<\/p>\n

I pray that God is always rightly exalted through me and that I would continue to decrease while He continues to increase<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I guess I just wanted to confess this to the world today, ask for prayer – and encourage us all to keep things in perspective.\u00a0 Is it wrong to want to promote ourselves?\u00a0 If it’s under the guise of “oh – I’m doing this so that Jesus will be lifted up” but really, deep down we just want ourselves promoted – yes, I think it’s wrong.\u00a0 If we truly have the desire to lift Jesus up more than anything, maybe not.<\/p>\n

What About You?<\/h3>\n

So, those of you who are bloggers out there – what do you do to remain humble?\u00a0 Are you justifying self-promotion because “it’s all about Jesus” but it’s really all about you?\u00a0 For me, thankfully, God used a couple of different circumstances to say, “Hey, Ryan, slow down – this is about me, not you.”\u00a0 And it was right when I needed it.\u00a0 God’s Word says,<\/p>\n

Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud<\/strong> but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5) as well as<\/p>\n

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

My prayer, for all of us, is that we would have humility and wisdom before everything else<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

(photo by Forrest Cavale<\/a>)<\/p>\n