Pride

"What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" --1 Cor.4:7

The last two days, God has been teaching me about pride and how ugly it is. I didn't realize how cram-packed 1 Corinthians is with warnings on pride. SEVERAL times, Paul reminds his readers to "boast in the Lord," not in themselves. And, this isn't a little slap-on-the-wrist "warning;" this is serious stuff.

So, I started thinking about pride. As a stay-at-home mom, there's not a whole lot of opportunities to "brag," so to speak. For example, it would be super weird if I walked around the house all day telling Jordan how awesome I am at this mom thing (which is a hilarious thought, b/c I actually have no clue what I'm doing...). But, to be honest, while my pride may not come out verbally, these last two days have left me wrestling with some pride issues inside my heart.

Why, Stefany, do you boast, as though anything good in you hasn't been RECEIVED?

For example, I often catch myself thinking, "Wow! Look at how far I've come! I used to be this totally self-centered, snobby, rude, greedy, making-really-poor-choices kind of girl! Look at me now! Married to a minister, raising a child, surrounding myself with godly friends..."

Oh my freaking word. I'm so embarrassed to even admit that I have those thoughts! But, in all honesty, my flesh wants to BOAST in these things. Grrr.... that makes me so mad. I hate sin.

In reality, I have RECEIVED a gift. WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS, Christ died for us. Notice the verse doesn't say, "When Stefany finally got her head on straight and figured out her way of life was leading nowhere.... Christ died for her." Nope. I had NOTHING to do with my rescue. NOTHING.

And, I still have NOTHING to do with my continued transformation from sin-dead to alive in Jesus. NOTHING. Well, maybe one thing.... surrender. Jesus IN me is my hope of glory. Not, ME in me. JESUS IN ME.

So, yes, I have a pride problem. And, once again today, I surrender and ask Jesus to forgive me and clean me up. Once again, I admit that my tendency is to want to take the credit for anything good in me.

Jesus, thank you for extending your rescue to me before I even knew I needed it. And, thank you for not giving up on me and my prideful heart. Thank you so much for the transformation that your Spirit is bringing in my life. Thank you so much for your mercy toward me, not leaving me as I am, but teaching me to be more like you, more gracious, more loving, more alive. Thank you that your rescue is not just for the life to come, but your rescue is every single day, filling us with your Spirit, so that we don't have to waste our lives anymore. I love you so much and pray that you use these thoughts from your Word to encourage someone else today as well. p.s. I hope this "out-loud" prayer is not boastful in any way.

You cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me. --Jesus (John 15)