Our Blog

Spare Change - November

Pride Comes Before a Fall

How many times have you heard “pride comes before a fall”?  The verse is Proverbs 16:18 and it actually says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”  I guess it’s close enough.  Even in the common saying the point is not lost.  When there is pride in someone’s life it causes downfall.  Sometimes that is the natural consequence of being puffed up and sometimes it is caused by the Lord.  Yes, that is correct, God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6).  That should tell us that pride is a big deal!  But why? Why is pride such a struggle for many Christians?

I will admit I struggle with pride.  One of the hardest things about being a Christian is wrestling with pride.  There is so much temptation to display pride daily.  It can sneak into conversations and creep into our thoughts.  It is a constant battle; however, God is good and helps us to remain humble.  Remember that humility is always a better path.  The Bible has example after example of this.  One of my favorites is Philippians 2:1-11,

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among
yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by  becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This passage starts and ends with Christ.  The expectation is humility comes out of a relationship with the Lord and desire to please Him.  We are to join in His way of thinking, which is humility.  Paul shares an example from the life of Jesus Christ for us to look to for our own encouragement.  So, Christ started us on the journey of spirit-filled humility, He sustains us and ultimately will be glorified in our humble life.  This verse really centers on Jesus, which should help us greatly in the fight against pride.  If we keep our focus on Him, let Him be our example and what we are glorifying, then pride will be demolished in our lives.

How does this play out practically in my life?  Paul gives us some helpful examples.  We are to do nothing out of selfishness.  We are to think of others as more significant than ourselves.  We are to care about others' interests, not just our own.  This is one of those “easier said than done” kind of things.  It is hard to do this on a daily basis especially when everyone else around us is not following this principle.  It is easy to not sin when others are not sinning as well, but what about when someone is rude to you or offends you.  Do you get puffed up with pride?  You might even feel justified in your pride, but it is still sin.

The bottom line is humility is always a better path, although not the easier one.  What does this look like in MY life?  It is giving a friend the benefit of the doubt and some extra grace.  It is not commenting on some FB posts.  It is never thinking I am more important than someone else.  It is giving myself a humility check every now and again by looking at Philippians 2:1-11 and seeing if I am truly living this passage out.  If not, I pray and ask God to help me live in humility.

My encouragement to you today is to seek humility.  You will never be ashamed of what you have said, you will never have to apologize, and you will never be filled with regret when being humble.  With pride you will deal with all of those feelings and more.  Pride can feel good in the moment; however, it never accomplished God’s will.  Seek to be a person of Christlike humility!

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.  Proverbs 11:2

Student Ministry - November

Dear Church Family,

Have you ever experienced times in your life where God is obviously trying to teach you a lesson? Has there been a period where it seems like everything that happens to you or around you just keeps pointing back to that truth that He wants to get across? Lately (possibly this entire year so far) the Lord has been reiterating this one point to me that I am finally beginning to grasp. And that point is that there is a difference between “hard” and “bad.”

Have you ever considered why we are tempted to tell people we had a “bad” day when really it was just a “hard” day? What was actually bad about the hardship? The Lord has been teaching me that “hard” is not the same as “bad.” When I really sit and think about things that were hard, I find that usually hard things turn out to be “good.” When I have to work hard, think hard, serve hard, or have hard conversations, all of those things tend to end up being good or becoming good through God’s providence. So, what do we really mean when we say that things have been “bad.” What would God classify as “bad?”

The reason we tend to think that “hard” is the same thing as “bad,” is often nothing more than having misplaced expectations. We expect something to be a certain way, and when it is not the way we wanted it to be, it becomes hard. And because this new, hard reality has interfered with our expectations, we now consider it a bad reality. When we equate “hard” with “bad” in this way, we are actually guilty of a form of laziness. A lazy person is someone who is primarily dedicated to their own
comfort. Proverbs 19:24 shows that a lazy person is so committed to immediate comfort that he will not do what it takes to even satisfy his own desires. A lazy person is someone who sacrifices “good” for “easy.” This is essentially what we are doing when we say that “hard” realities are necessarily “bad” realities.

Of course, bad days are real. There are hard realities that are “bad.” There are also enjoyable realities that are “bad.” So, what is it that makes something truly “bad?” In answering this question, it is important to allow God to define what “bad” actually means and how we should use it. The Bible rarely (if ever) equates the word “hard” with the word “bad.” Instead, when God created man and woman, He placed them in the Garden of Eden and gave them the responsibility to work, and He said that everything was “very good.” So just because we have to put effort into something (even a lot of effort), that does not mean that it is bad. The Bible shows us in the same story in Genesis 3 that enjoyable things are “bad” when we put them before God, and hardships are “bad” when they are a result of our sin against God. This would suggest that we are only truly having a bad day when sin is ruling in our lives.

So, what is your priority? Is it comfort or is it God? If you are having a hard time because you are prioritizing comfort over God, then I would say you are having a truly bad time. You need to evaluate your heart and your priorities, because the “hard” in your life is not leading to “good,” it is actually a warning that you are embracing that which is “bad.” If, however, you are having hardships while prioritizing God and pursuing Him, then be encouraged! Do not sacrifice the “good” for the “easy.” Instead, look to see what “good” God is making from all of the “hard” you have been experiencing. Since I started doing this, God has consistently shown me His goodness in my life, and I hope He will show you the same in yours.