December 23, 2007

Unasking Hidden Pride

By Alfred H. Ells

Because pride can be very subtle in its manifestations, many do not know the telltale signs of pride. Consider the following characteristics of hidden pride and see if God reveals any indications of pride in your life. Be brave. Ask those who know you well if they see any of these characteristics in your life.

SIGNS OF PRIDE

1. Insecurity. Research reveals clergy as one of the most insecure of all professional groups. Insecurity is the root of many unhealthy and ungodly behaviors. It provokes us to want the lavish praise and attention of others too much. Much of pride is motivated out of one's unmet need for self-worth. Finding one's identity and security in Christ is a must to avoid pride.

2. The need to be right. Ever encounter someone who has a hard time being wrong? This is a symptom of pride. The need to be right prevents one from appropriately evaluating issues as well as themselves ( Galatians 6:3). A person who needs to be right has an exalted investment in himself or herself and thinks that he/she knows better than others. In religious circles, the need to be right is frequently manifested through always saying 'God told me' or 'God showed me'.

3. Being argumentative. Individuals, who argue their point of view, especially to those in authority over them, are allowing pride to get the best of them. At the root of their argument is a belief that they are right and the other is wrong and that their will should prevail. It is appropriate to advocate for a point of view or position but not to do so in such a manner that you are more invested in your opinion than in arriving at a mutual understanding.

4. More invested in being heard than in hearing. When someone develops a pattern of needing others to listen to them rather than first hearing others, pride is motivating the need. The need to be heard is common among clergy who are insecure. Oftentimes, the individual does not feel loved or valued unless people "hear them out." In truth, this is often just an expression of insecurity and pride.

5. Anger. Anger is a self-justifying emotion. This means that the nature of anger is to prompt us to justify our position and blame another for the wrongdoing. Justification of self leads to denial of our own complicity or wrongdoing. The scripture warns that the "anger of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God." (James 1:20). An individual who is angry a lot is suffering from pride.

6. Irritability and impatience. Even though I am a counselor, it was only recently that I learned that the root of impatience in my life is anger and therefore pride. When we are unable to be patient with another and are irritated, it demonstrates a haughty view of self. We feel that our views, time or needs are more important than the other persons. This again is more an indication of our pride than someone else's slow movement or imperfection.

7. Lack of submissive attitude. Submission is the voluntary placement of oneself under the influence, control or authority of another. When an individual pledges their submission to you or another, yet is critical or argumentative of that authority, then pride is the hidden issue. The test of humility and submission is being able to say 'yes', maintain a positive attitude and trust God, especially when the decision of your authority goes against your grain or better judgment.

8. Not easily corrected. Ever work or live with someone who won't receive any negative or corrective feedback? This too is pride. Before he died, a pastor in the East Valley was noted for being easily entreated and able to receive corrective feedback from others. He would thank the person for the negative feedback and commit to pray about it, seek counsel and get back to the person with what conclusions he came to. He was a role model for many of us.

9. Receiving correction but not changing. I worked with a man who often would receive my correction and say thank you for the feedback, but would never change. This too is a form of pride. The individual was placating me and people-pleasing me, telling me what I wanted to hear but not really taking the feedback to heart. His insecurity and fear prevented him from truly changing.

10. Needing others to take your advice. Counselors, such as myself, easily fall into the trap of having to have others take their advice. Advice should always be offered without strings attached. If you find yourself resenting the fact that your advice is not followed, look deeper at the motivating issues in your life.

11. Needing to proclaim your title or degrees. A good friend of mine requires everyone to call him 'pastor', saying that he has deservedly earned the title. Demanding that others call you 'doctor' or 'pastor' or 'bishop' is usually a way of making you 'one up' and them 'one down'. Once again, pride is fueling the requirement.

12. Being stubborn. Webster's dictionary defines stubbornness as " unduly determined to exert one's own will, not easily persuaded and difficult to handle or work, resistant." The root issue of stubbornness is willfulness, which is 'I want what I want when I want it'. Another name for pride.

13. Comparisons and competition. 2 Corinthians 10:12 makes it clear that comparing oneself with others is unwise. Comparison is a form of competition. It is often overt. For example, emphasizing the size of one's church, the number of converts, etc. However, it can also be the subtle sin of heart that inwardly grieves when another is more successful or rejoices when another pastor's ministry enters hard times. The motive of heart is pride.

This article was taken from the Counselor's Corner, Volume II, Issue 11, published by Counselor's Corner.

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December 19, 2007

Birthday Gift

A little boy was somewhat perplexed by all the exchanging of presents on Christmas morning, for he had been taught in Sunday school that it was the birthday of the Savior. Finally, after a long period of silence, he asked, "Mommy, when are we going to give Jesus His present? I thought it was His birthday!"

Strange, isn't it, that most of us give gifts to everyone but the One whose birthday we celebrate. A good question we might ask ourselves is this: What am I going to give to the Lord Jesus this Christmas? If you have never trusted in Him as your Savior, the thing He desires most from you is a believing heart. Why not put your faith in Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross so you can be saved from your sins?

If by faith you already know Christ as your Savior, then the most wonderful thing you can do this Christmas is to present to God the one gift He most desires to receive from you—your body (Rom. 12:1).

Our bodies are to be used for God's purposes. Because we have accepted the gift of salvation from Him, it's only reasonable that we should present ourselves to the Father. When we give ourselves, we give the one Christmas present that truly fits the occasion! —Richard De Haan

What shall I give for Christmas
To Him who gave Himself for me?
To Him I give my life, my love,
For time and for eternity. —Anon.

Give your all to Christ; He gave His all for you.

DAVID STONE
NORTHWAY BAPTIST CHURCH
281-441-9473

December 13, 2007

The Gift

by Steve McVey

When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary 2000 years ago, she was told that God's Spirit was about to come upon her and as a result she would give birth to Divine Life. What a shocking realization for a young Jewish girl. Her world was about to be forever changed. The question of her morality was about to come to the forefront. Her soon-to-be husband would need a visit from no less than an angel in order to believe her story. Her Child that was to be born would turn the religious applecart of His day upside down. Yes, things were about to change – in a big way. Christmas might seem sentimental to us today but when Jesus Christ was born it was shockingly radical in almost every imaginable way.

Someone has rightly said that grace which isn't disruptive isn't really grace. Deity breaking in on humanity and taking over, forever altering our lives and our circumstances, changing the way we see God, ourselves, and others. It's unsettling, to say the least. It takes control away from us and forces us to live in the place of constant faith, where some days are horribly wonderful and others are wonderfully horrible.

Jesus didn't come to make our lives better. He came so that we might die, right along with Him. In our co-crucifixion with Christ, He took away the old life we inherited from Adam and gave us another one in its place. The life He has given to us stands in stark contradiction to life as we used to know it. This Life isn't better. It's new.

In "This Life" we don't live for ourselves, but for others. We don't seek to gather but to pour ourselves out for the benefit of those around us. We don't assert our own agendas, but rather lay them down and allow Him to express His agenda through us in whatever way He chooses. We quit trying to be religious in an attempt to impress God, ourselves and others and begin to learn to be real, acting like who we really are in Him. We stop scrambling to carve out an enviable life for ourselves and instead just yield to death – the one we experienced with Him on His cross.

Mary had to die to a lot as the baby Jesus grew inside her. She died to the way she had anticipated her life would unfold. She died to her reputation. She died to the right to manage or even understand her life's circumstances. She died to her religious check and balance system where good girls have good things happen in life and bad girls get the bad stuff of life. She began to realize early on that God's ways aren't our ways, but they are better. She learned to yield to Him and in her "be it unto me according to thy word," (Luke 1:38), the door opened for the rest of the world to see the divine life she had been given by God's Spirit.

So it is to be with us. Let us choose to embrace Christmas in all of its implications. Let's give up our agendas, our reputations, our rights and yield to the growth of Christ, first within us and then through us so that all the world may see His glory. Let us agree with His Spirit that we will gladly embrace every disruptive aspect of grace that shakes us out of our comfort zones, breaking away the things that interfere with living as our authentic selves, and causing us to come to more fully and intimately know Him. To embrace His life and to see it grow in us – to see His life be produced through us – that is the greatest gift anyone could know. That is indeed a God-sized gift.

May you and your family be richly blessed during this Christmas season and may you cherish The Gift that exceeds everything this world has to offer.

December 11, 2007

Feeling or Action?

Love Is . . .

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32



Recommended Reading
1 Corinthians 13:4-7

If it weren't for love, most songwriters would be out of business. From "All I Need Is Love," to "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" and "I Love You, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah," no topic has dominated the popular culture like love. But so far, no one has written a song entitled "Love Is a Commandment."

We think of love as a mood, a feeling, a sentiment, an attitude, and a passion; and rightly so, for love may contain some or all of those emotions. But at its essence, love is the selfless commitment of putting the needs of others before one's own wishes or welfare. It's a choice we make and a command we obey. It's the opposite of offended pride, bitterness, selfishness, rudeness, and egocentricity.

Perhaps the greatest barometer of love is kindness, so we should always be asking ourselves, "What have I done for someone else today?"

The Bible says, "Love . . . is kind " (1 Corinthians 13:4), and spiritual maturity comes as we realize that love is a command that results in a never-ceasing stream of kindness toward others. As someone once said, "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."


Love is the giving of oneself to another.
David Jeremiah

December 02, 2007

Have you been born again?

John 3:3
Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

The question isn’t do you believe in Jesus Christ.

Nor is it have you said the sinner’s prayer.

Rather, have you been born again?

Being born again is the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. It is a miracle. When a person is born again, they are made into a new creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
he is a
new creation;
old
things have passed away;
behold,
all things have become new.


Have you passed from your old self, which was a slave to the world, to a new self in Christ?

Some call it regeneration. It is the difference between a religious person believing in Christ and being a saved child of God.

It is totally a work of God! It’s the moment He opens a person’s eyes to faith in His Son. The blind now sees! Because the individual now sees, they are now able to repent of their sins and place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. It truly is God's great miracle in man!!!

Has this happened to you? Are you “in Christ”? Does His Holy Spirit reside in you? You’ll know by the fruit you produce (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control). Do you desire to know Him more, grow in His Word, fellowship with other Christians and follow His lead and instruction?

A person who has been born of God now desires the things of God. On the other hand, it is impossible for the those without God's Spirit to crave these things because the darkness of man does not comprehend the light of Christ (John 3:19). That is why we must be born again to enter His Kingdom.

Also, though not perfect, the regenerated man or woman grows to despise sin. All of this is the work of the Holy Spirit that indwells them. Do you hate the sin in your life?

All of this what it means to be a new creation and not just a professing Christian.

Ezek. 36:26-27
A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances.

If you ever need prayer, don't hesitate to contact me: scott@psalm22.net

God bless.