Pride and Humility

God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

A study this morning on humility was just what I needed. Believe me, I have my moments of pride, but I try to stay in a humble attitude and think of others above myself. So this is not a Tressa is perfect and judging others post. This is a Tressa had a revelation on this subject post.

Lately, I have become so disgusted by the pride and arrogance of others. I just wanted to gag yesterday as I sat and litsened to someone build themselves up the entire time we were together. Note: I had to pray hard beforehand, because I knew I would be around this person. I didnt want to join in with all the elavating, but I want to celebrate this person in their accomplishments, but where do you draw the line?

Then this morning I came across James 4.

¹What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? ²You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. ³When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

⁴You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. ⁵Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? ⁶But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

Let me highlight a few things here:
~Pride makes its own agenda without any consideration of God and others.
~What is gained through pride is always lost.
~God opposes those filled with the pride of life for they are the friends of the devil.
~It is pride that makes us lust and covet and envy and murder and fight and war. Pride is to the life of the flesh what humility is to the life of the Spirit. It is at the very foundation of the lifestyle, which displeases God.
~Pride brings destruction.

Humility starts with the decision about who is in charge of our lives. GOD! God's enabling power is available to those who truly submit themselves to him. He gives GRACE and covering to those who call on Him and give Him glory.

My revelation is that God's power will be discovered in the lives of the proud, but it will only lead to their destruction. I can rest in knowing that God sees the heart of man, and He is the Judge. I can also have pity on the proud. Because after all big egos are like big shields for lots of empty space. The proud are absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves for one reason or another.

I must remain humble, even when I want to join in (in times like yesterday) and point out all of my successes and accomplishments. I submitted myself and prayed before my time with this person, He gave me the ability to stay low. I saw pride for what it was and I even left our time together feeling renewed. God's power for living life well is given to those who humble themselves in His sight.

LOVE- the most important ingredient

Today, I was called a "Betty Crocker" by a friend, she mentioned I was maybe even better than Betty. TO be honest, I love to cook- and what I cook might taste good, but it doesnt always look magazine perfect. Im not good at drawing lines, or making perfect cuts and such.

I shared the story with my friend about the two little girls staying with us. Today I decided we would make homemade pizzas. One girl gapsed, "you can make a pizza?" So we got out the premade crusts, the sauce, grated the cheese, and cooked the grease out of the pepperonis. We then sat and everyone had a job to putting the pizza together. (spreading the sauce, sprinkling the cheese, putting on the pepperonis) Once the pizza was put together, I infromed them that we saved the most important ingredient to put on for last----love. I made everyone sprinkle their love over the two pizzas.

We cooked the pizzas, let them cool, cut them up and served them on everyones plates. At the table while we were eating, one of the sweet girls said "This pizza is the best, its because of all the love we put in it!" At that moment, I realized, we are better cooks than Betty Crocker- because we cook with love.

INDIA

The Lord is breaking our hearts for India again. And man, it hurts, oh how our hearts ache!

We have been to India once. We have seen, touched, tasted, smelt, heard, slept, cried, and fully experienced that country. One of my favorite quotes from a song is "Now that I have seen, I am responsible". We really feel like we have experienced these things for a reason! And feel somewhat responsible. We just want to stand up and say "No MORE!", "Not on our watch will these people continue to suffer".

James 2:26 says "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." We have alot of faith, and we do alot of deeds, here in Waco. But we are asking ourselves, what about in India? Who is loving those "neighbors" there?

We are in the process of processing all these feelings. We have had these heartfelt feelings for India for quite some time, but just recently couldnt hold it in any longer. We are asking the Lord- where? when? how? what?

Lord, we are litsening!!!