HOW PROUD IS YOUR HEART?

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“My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.” (Psalm 131:1 NIV)

Humble hearts take work.

In one way or another, we all have slivers of pride in our hearts.  Finishing a task brings a sense of accomplishment, which can lead to prideful thoughts. Our physical appearance has the potential to stroke our ego, as does any number of things.  Remembering, God is who gave you the ability to do the “things” removes the sliver of pride. To ensure our eyes are not haughty, we have to remember who gave them to us.  We could not see if God did not provide us with sight.  Our breath is from Him; without it, we cannot live.

“For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” (Job 33:4 NIV)

God’s goodness is in every breath.

Deeply inhaling oxygen is breathing life into the lungs God gave you.  He fills them with His goodness as we take in the air.  When we exhale, we make room for more of Him.  Every breath we take on this earth is a gift from God.  At a pre-determined time, known only by God, you will  stop breathing.  Until then, thank Him for the thousands He’s giving you now.  Gratitude for breath will help keep your heart humble.

Breath is our physical reminder; we are nothing without God.  Pride trickles its way into our life so subtly; guarding our heart from prideful ways is a never-ending battle.  We can use our breath to help us find humility.  But we must identify pride in ourselves if we want to fight the fight.

Pride identifies itself in my life when I compare myself to others.  If I feel like I’m better than them for some reason, I know I have a problem.  We are all equal in Christ. He didn’t just die for me; He died for everyone.  God doesn’t have cliques.  His club isn’t exclusive; it’s open to all who believe and trust in Him.  One thing repeatedly seen in the New Testament, each person Jesus encountered, He loved.  We are to do the same.  If I feel I’m better than someone for some reason, I’ve got a pride issue. 

And we all do it.

Everyone has someone in their life which they consider themselves better than for whatever reason.  Of course, no one says this publicly, but that doesn’t make it any less accurate.  Identify those people in your life; you’ll find where pride is living in your heart.  When you do, breathe.

Take a deep inhale. Remember, God gave you breath.  Jesus died for everyone.  In Him, we are equal.  Keep a humble heart.

Question of the Day:

In what areas of your life do you struggle with pride?

Further Reading: Amos 7:1-9:15 NIV, Revelation 3:7-22 NIV, Psalm 131:1-3 NIV, Proverbs 29:23 NIV

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