Just back from a lovely evening at the Heath's ranch back in the mountainous country. There is nothing like great food, beautiful surroundings and fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ! AHH!!

So, some things I've been digesting this week...

Eurythmics - "I was born an original sinner. I was born in original sin; and if I had a dollar bill for all the things I'd done, there'd be a mountain of money piled up to my chin."


The opposite of love is apathy
The opposite of peace is war
The opposite of freedom is bondage
The opposite of loyalty is betrayal
The opposite of trust is doubt
The opposite of faith is experience
The opposite of humility is pride...

Thoughts on Pride and Humility


I know my own predispositions to pride, and in a desire to war against this I am trying to understand and "put on” humility. I want to (allow God through His Spirit and His Word) slay the beast within. So instinctively, I turn to THE ONLY source of Truth, the Scripture. I also am browsing a book by C.J, Mahaney, entitled Humility. Some great quotes that have been wonderful food for thought are as follows:

John Stott -"At every stage of our Christian development and in every sphere of our Christian discipleship, pride is the greatest enemy, and humility, our greatest friend...Pride is more than the first of the seven deadly sins; it is itself the essence of all sin."

Jonathan Edwards - "What a foolish, silly, miserable, blind deceived poor worm am I, when pride works." [Edwards constantly warned against pride, and especially spiritual pride.]

Charles Bridges - "Pride lifts one'’s heart against God and contends for supremacy"

John Calvin - "God cannot bear with seeing His glory appropriated by the creature in even the smallest degree, so intolerable to Him is the sacrilegious arrogance of those who, by praising themselves, obscure His glory as far as they can."


Is.14 references a sin predating Adam's "original" sin; the sin of Lucifer. 14:13 -"– You said in your heart, "“I will ascend into heaven; above the stars of God, I will set my throne on high." This passage which records Satan's 5 "I wills" require much more attention. The sin is obvious here, the ripple effects of the consequences will be felt until eternity.

I love this promise in Is. 66:2 - "This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at My word." God promises to pay attention to the humble, not the one who whines the most or begs the loudest.

God hates pride. I know this, but so often it just becomes a rote statement. I say it to my kids. I say it to my students. I say it to my friends. I especially have to say it over and over to myself. But on many levels, it doesn't always sink in. I am going to go meditate on these verses.
Prov. 6:16-17
Prov. 8:13
Prov. 16:5
James 4:6
1Peter 5:5
Prov.16:18

Last night during worship at youth group, I was asking the Lord to let me see my sinfulness. Not too much, lest I become hopeless and despondent, but to see it in Truth. I also asked Him to show me a bit more of His Holiness, that I might fear Him more. Not too much, lest I hide from Him and become incapacitated. What a sweet and painful time it was. God is faithful. And God is good.