• December 3, 2008 - Is it pride?

I sometimes hear from others that they themselves don't do things in a prideful way. I hear that they aren't perfect and they don't pretend to be. Yet, I ask, really? Pride sneaks into everything we do as people.

On the other side of the coin, we see pride in others when it isn't really there. We are forever making comparisons and then saying that our comparison isn't prideful. Yet our statement "I don't make comparisons" often demonstrates our pride and brokenness in a more clear way than anything else could.

I love C.S. Lewis' thoughts on this topic. We have the book Mere Christianity on CD. I could listen to the reading of this book over and over. It is so profound. We are all so lost, apart from Jesus. We ought to have more patience for our fellow brothers and sisters, as well as for ourselves.

Romans 3:3,4 "do not think of yourself more highly than you ought" is often misquoted. A more complete reading shows us:

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function.

So, I say it's OK to be "proud" about some things. Being proud is different than having pride. If one of my daughters is proud of themselves that they have learned to read a new and difficult level of reading, then I will not chastise her for being "proud" of herself. Yet, if that same girl shows disdain for her sister's reading level, then I will show her my disapproval of her attitude.

I say it's OK to be proud that you homeschool. It's OK to be grateful to God that he acted on your heart in order to provide that gift to you. Yet, realize, that God may not have given that grace or even that calling to your fellow brothers and sisters at this time.

It's OK to be proud of ways in which you are figuring out this homeschooling thing more. It's OK to be grateful that it is becoming easier.

It's OK to be proud of skills you are learning - whether it be singing, or painting, or conversing with others, or loving the little ones, or sewing, or gardening, or cooking, or Photoshop, or whatever. God put those on your heart. And, we all have different gifts. What we must remember is that God gave us all different gifts and just because I struggle in one area and find another area easy, doesn't mean that I am of any less of a value. Whether you are an apostle, a world evangelist, a prayer warrior, or a waiter of tables, you are valued in the body of Christ.

Yet, we can also learn from others and be continually prodded on to do good works for Christ, to the measure that Christ has given us that gift. If I love to make homemade soup, I hope you don't feel bad about yourself if you prefer to buy store bought soup. On the same token, don't rule out the possibility that one day you may feel pressed to make homemade soup in order to save money, or to enjoy the process of making something homemade, or in order to make a more healthful product for your family. And, do not limit my excitement when I tell you how neat it is for me to make homemade soup. My example may be corny. Perhaps it is not the best example. But, let's have grace for one another and be "proud" of one another for our accomplishments.

Yours In Christ.

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