Full-on Surrender
James 4:6 But he gives all the more grace; therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (NRSV)
We all want people to think well of us. We just do. But there’s a line that we can cross where that turns into an ugly thing. It’s called pride and pride, well, it has some serious consequences.
Several times throughout the Bible it refers to God’s people as being “stiff-necked”. It’s an interesting way to describe the stubbornness, the pride that sometimes creeps into the hearts of God’s people. I’m guessing that it points to their unwillingness to bow their lives down in complete surrender to God.
I remember when I was a young lad learning to ice skate. Now physical coordination is not one of my great strengths, I have to tell you. So my bottom spent a lot of time making contact with the ice. And you know, every time I thought to myself, “Here you go Berni, you’ve got it! You’re doing well,” and I’d look over at my mum and dad to show them how clever I was – whoompa! – down on my backside on the ice. It’s what happens.
Yeah, we live in a world where we’re taught to be proud of who we are. The problem is though that pride so often comes before the fall. Whoompa!
Pride is a terrible thing and it’s something that God always, always, always opposes.
James 4:6 But he gives all the more grace; therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (NRSV)
Pride is a trap that each one of us can fall into. It’s about thinking more highly of ourselves than we should. And in the competitive world in which we live, so many people are so busy telling everyone else how good they are, that they’ve forgotten this powerful truth:
God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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Tangu
Timely reminder, thank you so much brethren
Timely reminder, thank you so much brethren