Abed_nego2
Servant of the Lord
2 Chronicles 26:16, “But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction”
2 Corinthians 10:18, “Not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends”
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We can be saved from our sins through faith and trust in Jesus Christ and yet still need to be saved from ourselves, which is our pride, our temper, our selfishness and our self-will. One of my friends who was very proud of his ability to make money experienced reverses that set him back to where he was when he started. He told me he believed this happened because God wanted to deliver him from his PRIDE. Another man was fired from three good jobs before he realized that his worst enemy in each instance was not his boss, but himself-his own nasty TEMPER.
A husband and wife were extremely preoccupied with their careers and with material things until they became foster parents for several boys. Only then were they delivered from their SELFISHNESS. A man who had professed faith in Christ as a youth rejected his parents’ warnings and began to run with the wrong crowd. After being badly beaten for not paying a gambling debt, he returned to the Lord and has been saved from his SELF-WILL.
King Uzziah’s PRIDE brought him down. It killed him. So, my brethren we can all learn from these illustrations. We need to be saved from ourselves. Our pride, temper, selfishness, or self-will may be our worst enemy. Let’s defeat it before it brings us down
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Further reflection:
A man who had just been elected to the British Parliament brought his family to London. He felt important as he told them about his new job and gave them a tour of the city. When they entered Westminster Abbey, his 8-year-old daughter was awe struck by the size of that magnificent structure. Her proud father asked, “What, my dear, are you thinking about?” She replied, “Daddy, I was just thinking about how big you are in our house, but now small you look here!” Without knowing it, that little girl said something her father needed to hear.
My friend, pride, selfishness and self-will can creep into our lives so easily, and from time to time it’s good to be “cut down to size.” We need to be reminded not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think (Romans 12:3). It’s easy to become proud when we stay in our own little circles of life. However, when we are thrust into larger situations, with increased demands, pressures, and competition, we come to the shocking realization that “big fish in small ponds” shrink quickly in a large ocean.
James the brother of Jesus said, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). So, my brethren, let’s ask the Lord to help us see ourselves as we really are. With His help, we’ll learn to rid ourselves of such things as foolish pride, selfishness, and self-will
__________
To see yourself as you really are, take one look at Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:18, “Not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends”
__________
We can be saved from our sins through faith and trust in Jesus Christ and yet still need to be saved from ourselves, which is our pride, our temper, our selfishness and our self-will. One of my friends who was very proud of his ability to make money experienced reverses that set him back to where he was when he started. He told me he believed this happened because God wanted to deliver him from his PRIDE. Another man was fired from three good jobs before he realized that his worst enemy in each instance was not his boss, but himself-his own nasty TEMPER.
A husband and wife were extremely preoccupied with their careers and with material things until they became foster parents for several boys. Only then were they delivered from their SELFISHNESS. A man who had professed faith in Christ as a youth rejected his parents’ warnings and began to run with the wrong crowd. After being badly beaten for not paying a gambling debt, he returned to the Lord and has been saved from his SELF-WILL.
King Uzziah’s PRIDE brought him down. It killed him. So, my brethren we can all learn from these illustrations. We need to be saved from ourselves. Our pride, temper, selfishness, or self-will may be our worst enemy. Let’s defeat it before it brings us down
__________
Further reflection:
A man who had just been elected to the British Parliament brought his family to London. He felt important as he told them about his new job and gave them a tour of the city. When they entered Westminster Abbey, his 8-year-old daughter was awe struck by the size of that magnificent structure. Her proud father asked, “What, my dear, are you thinking about?” She replied, “Daddy, I was just thinking about how big you are in our house, but now small you look here!” Without knowing it, that little girl said something her father needed to hear.
My friend, pride, selfishness and self-will can creep into our lives so easily, and from time to time it’s good to be “cut down to size.” We need to be reminded not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think (Romans 12:3). It’s easy to become proud when we stay in our own little circles of life. However, when we are thrust into larger situations, with increased demands, pressures, and competition, we come to the shocking realization that “big fish in small ponds” shrink quickly in a large ocean.
James the brother of Jesus said, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). So, my brethren, let’s ask the Lord to help us see ourselves as we really are. With His help, we’ll learn to rid ourselves of such things as foolish pride, selfishness, and self-will
__________
To see yourself as you really are, take one look at Jesus Christ.
