Happy Monday (almost Tuesday) night! I'm back for another post in my series, "7 Deadly Sins." I know we all are guilty of this one: pride.
And why shouldn't we be? We have great families, new clothes, and shiny cars. Needless to say, we are not a humble people, despite the multitude of blessings that we have been graced with. Not only are we prideful of our material belongings, but of trivial things as well. Now I know that God is a Dawg fan, but even though Todd Gurley is officially back and Nick Chubb is destroying the SEC, these matters too will be of no importance after this life.
Just in case you need more evidence, here are some verses describing exactly how damaging pride is to a Christian soul:
"One's pride will bring him low, but he who is in lowly spirit will obtain
honor." -Proverbs 29:23
"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble comes
wisdom." -Proverbs 11:2
"Everyone who is arrogant in heart will be an abomination to the Lord;
be assured, he will not go unpunished." -Proverbs 16:5
"Low." "Disgrace." "Abomination." See, being prideful isn't just a silly offense that occurs after our favorite football team (Go Dawgs) wins a big game. It isn't just teasing about our victories. Its about lowering ourselves to the actions of a selfish braggart, which in turn interferes with our walks and testimonies.
Pride doesn't just stop at sports, though. I decided to write about this sin this week because I too have been guilty of being overly proud, but not in the traditional definition of the word. Since I have started college, I have taken on an independent, stubborn demeanor (wellllll....I've always been stubborn). Every time that I am faced with a problem, I say over and over again, "I have it under control", as if I am trying to convince myself of my confidence more than my fellow converser. However, there is a very thin line that separates confident from cocky. That line has been worn from constant use of "I have it under control."
What I fail to understand is why it is so hard for us Christians to admit that we need help. We squirm under the pressure of our challenges, we weep continuously, and we scream to ourselves because we would rather do so than show the world our weakness. We feel like we have to keep our composure intact. We let these pressures build and build and build until we suddenly explode like confetti canons. Why? Because our pride gets in the way.
Clearly we all need help with some issue, whether we own up to this or not. What I have realized, though, is that asking for help is not a bad thing at all. Psalms 107: 28-30 says, "Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distresses. He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad because they were quiet, so He guided them to their desired haven."
We cannot be prideful, for it will affect our spiritual walk and physical accomplishments. God is there for us to pass on our worries and battles, for He can handle them. In simpler terms, it's like when Hutson Mason is being charged by the opponent's defense. When he feels pressured and cannot physically handle the quickly approaching battle, Mason throws the ball to Gurley who knows exactly how to fix the situation and bring the team to victory.
See, God is our Gurley. He is strong, reliable, and knows exactly how to make the perfect play out of our lives. If we put aside our arrogance and trust Him, we will always come out the victor.
Thanks for returning for another week. Although my football references may not be totally correct, I know that they can help make things somewhat easier to understand (or they can give you a good laugh, because my knowledge about football is lacking).
Blessings for a safe, awesome week. And as always, Go Dawgs. Beat Auburn.
-Emily
And why shouldn't we be? We have great families, new clothes, and shiny cars. Needless to say, we are not a humble people, despite the multitude of blessings that we have been graced with. Not only are we prideful of our material belongings, but of trivial things as well. Now I know that God is a Dawg fan, but even though Todd Gurley is officially back and Nick Chubb is destroying the SEC, these matters too will be of no importance after this life.
Just in case you need more evidence, here are some verses describing exactly how damaging pride is to a Christian soul:
"One's pride will bring him low, but he who is in lowly spirit will obtain
honor." -Proverbs 29:23
"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble comes
wisdom." -Proverbs 11:2
"Everyone who is arrogant in heart will be an abomination to the Lord;
be assured, he will not go unpunished." -Proverbs 16:5
"Low." "Disgrace." "Abomination." See, being prideful isn't just a silly offense that occurs after our favorite football team (Go Dawgs) wins a big game. It isn't just teasing about our victories. Its about lowering ourselves to the actions of a selfish braggart, which in turn interferes with our walks and testimonies.
Pride doesn't just stop at sports, though. I decided to write about this sin this week because I too have been guilty of being overly proud, but not in the traditional definition of the word. Since I have started college, I have taken on an independent, stubborn demeanor (wellllll....I've always been stubborn). Every time that I am faced with a problem, I say over and over again, "I have it under control", as if I am trying to convince myself of my confidence more than my fellow converser. However, there is a very thin line that separates confident from cocky. That line has been worn from constant use of "I have it under control."
What I fail to understand is why it is so hard for us Christians to admit that we need help. We squirm under the pressure of our challenges, we weep continuously, and we scream to ourselves because we would rather do so than show the world our weakness. We feel like we have to keep our composure intact. We let these pressures build and build and build until we suddenly explode like confetti canons. Why? Because our pride gets in the way.
Clearly we all need help with some issue, whether we own up to this or not. What I have realized, though, is that asking for help is not a bad thing at all. Psalms 107: 28-30 says, "Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distresses. He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad because they were quiet, so He guided them to their desired haven."
We cannot be prideful, for it will affect our spiritual walk and physical accomplishments. God is there for us to pass on our worries and battles, for He can handle them. In simpler terms, it's like when Hutson Mason is being charged by the opponent's defense. When he feels pressured and cannot physically handle the quickly approaching battle, Mason throws the ball to Gurley who knows exactly how to fix the situation and bring the team to victory.
See, God is our Gurley. He is strong, reliable, and knows exactly how to make the perfect play out of our lives. If we put aside our arrogance and trust Him, we will always come out the victor.
Thanks for returning for another week. Although my football references may not be totally correct, I know that they can help make things somewhat easier to understand (or they can give you a good laugh, because my knowledge about football is lacking).
Blessings for a safe, awesome week. And as always, Go Dawgs. Beat Auburn.
-Emily