Asking for a Friend

There is a great sin in the church. It is the greatest sin that any man has ever committed. I have not personally committed it; I'm just asking for a friend.

Pride

Have you heard of it? Maybe you've seen it. I know you've felt it. But have you committed it?

Years ago I was sitting(again) with a friend. This friend, we'll call Billy, was a man who claimed he followed Jesus, but he was always getting drunk. We sat in the dark on his porch and talked--him drunk--me sober.
He knew drunkenness was a sin, there was no denial on his part, but he kept doing it.
As he condemned himself as a failure, I tried to help him understand an important truth.
"Billy", I said, "The only difference between your drunkenness and my pride is the fact that other people can see yours.
"Every time you get drunk a huge 'D' is embroidered on your shirt for all to see. You parade your sin through the town".
Pride isn't like that. Pride is slick and stealthy. Like the devil.
Sometimes we can see pride, but usually it is contained within the heart and nicely hidden. God doesn't miss it, but we can hide it from others. We can even hide it from ourselves!

Pharisee and tax collector

"He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt:" You know the rest...

Lily, you get that from Daddy

A few years ago, during family worship time, we began a discussion about our favorite sins. I think this is good, because it is a form of acknowledgement and repentance.
We all have our favorite sin--or sins.

Daddy says: "Clay and Kyannah, you like to lie. This is a sin and you got that from your Mama. Mama was a great liar back in her earlier days".

Lily pipes in: "Daddy, I don't lie like they do, do I"?

Daddy: "No, Lily, you don't. But we call that pride. You got that from your Daddy. Sorry".

We all then laughed--but it's true. We acknowledge our weaknesses.
I, personally, have never struggled with homosexuality. I also have not struggled with lying. But I have struggled with pride. We all have our recurring sins. Our favorites. Our bent.
The demons also know our weakness.
A demon is surely never going to tempt me to engage in sexual relations with another dude. They won't even waste their time. They know my thing. Pride is one of my things.

And dear reader--stop!!
Right now you are saying, "Amen, we know you are prideful, Marc"!

Watch yourself, Mr or Mrs Pharisee, you just might be prideful yourself.
You see, pride is setting ourselves above others. It is comparing ourselves to others with us always coming out on top.
Pride relishes when others fail. We secretly love to see others fail because it makes us look or feel better.

Dear Christian. Is it ever good when another brother or sister fails? Even if they are from "that" denomination?

Who is our enemy anyway? 

"Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour".

Wait! What? "A roaring lion"? Like a pride of lions? Ha! Of course. It fits perfect.
The great prideful one himself. The one who thinks he is greater than God!

A little bit of leaven

A friend of mine said, "Getting offended is almost always a sign that we have an over-inflated view of our own self-importance".
Translation: We are prideful.

Oh, you think you are different? Special? Think again, Mr Humble. While other sins may be avoided, pride has infected us all.
Don't you remember in kindergarten when you drew that awesome stick figure and put a mustache on it?
What did your parents say? Or parent? Or grandparent? Or, whoever was your guardian!
"Way to go, Johnny! You did a great job!"
And you, little Johnny, welled up with pride. So little, but yet so prideful. You didn't even know what that feeling was, but you just knew that you liked it. Little Johnny--You're the Devil.

"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you"?

The Holy Spirit, who dwells within you, will let you know when you are acting like the Devil. Or when little Johnny is coming to life within you.
I know this from experience--lots of painful experience.
When you are being prideful, a certain feeling will well up inside of you. The Spirit will gently call you to yield. During this moment you will feel pain. A physical pain. I can't explain it, but it is real.
Your body reacts. When you yield to the Spirit, you give up your right to 'be right' and you will immediately be restored back to a comfortable state. You will suddenly feel fine with losing whatever it is you are fighting for. Even when you see the smug grin on your opponent--you will be unmoved.

If you don't yield--the pain within you will begin to feel like power as the Spirit gives way. You will feel like you have won and you will self-deceive and justify your actions. Probably for days or weeks or even years!

Humility is a learned action. The Spirit will teach us to be humble--one way or another.
We will either yield gently or we will be crushed.

"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall".

It's your choice...


Song:

 I Must Decrease