Pride is a blinding force

As a young person who did well in school, my classmates made fun of me if I fell below my usual test scores. It didn’t take long to pick up the idea that excellence was expected. Worse yet, I became ridiculously sensitive to criticism. Long after those classmates stopped picking at me, my own self-talk remained negative. It seemed to me that I never quite reached some invisible and vague higher standard.

Now I realize this was personal pride, but for a long time those notions were not easy to shake. Not only that, they made me a sitting duck for Satan. All he had to do was suggest I’d failed and I was beating myself up and thinking that God was upset with me.

For a time, the idea of ‘try harder’ appealed, but that didn’t rid me of the desire to do better, be smarter, be a better person, a better Christian. Nothing worked. I began to think I was a total failure.

Again, the problem was pride. I’d become a Christian and knew that I could not save myself, but I didn’t want to fully acknowledge that I cannot do anything else apart from Christ. When that reality finally got through to me, I could see that I loved me and my skills more than I loved Jesus and depended on Him.

At that point, I asked Him to restore me to that first love, even to a greater love for Him than I’d ever had. Satan didn’t like it and began hitting me with all sorts of things. Yet God used the enemy attacks to show me many attitudes in my life that had pulled me away or that had stepped between me and God. I had so much to deal with and God revealed most of it by trials that I could not overcome by myself, combined with an incredible sense of His presence and loving care.

Over the course of time, Jesus kept drawing me back to the gospel and what He had done at the cross to prove His love for me. He reminded me of all the ways He revealed His care for me — regardless of my failures, insecurities, even despite my foolish pride. In this painful process, He set me free from my proud desire to be more than I am, and from that self-condemnation. He used verses like this one:

“Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34)

One of Satan’s big lies is that God really does not love us. People try different ways to compensate for that. For me, it was mostly intellectual performance. For others, it could be sports or other skills. Some seek love elsewhere. Some try to be more attractive, the best dressed, richer, more popular. It has been said that there is a God-shaped void within us. Money, fame, possessions, relationships, nothing else fits.

For me, my pride blinded me to the problem of pride. I only saw the symptoms. If I failed, I thought success would fix it, forgetting that the only solution to pride is humility, and true humility only comes when the gospel is heard, understood, and accepted. I felt like a failure because before God, I am. I fall short. I need Jesus. He is my righteousness and my wisdom, my substitute for sin, but also all that I need to please God and to live as God wants me to live. I cannot do anything apart from Him.

Pride also blinded me to the truth that God loves me totally, even when I’m behaving like a jerk, even when I’m thinking He doesn’t. He proved it at the Cross and He proves it every day by His continual presence, kindness and great compassion and patience. I might feel like giving up, but He never does.

"The LORD appeared to me from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you." (Jeremiah 31:3).

^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, dearest Lord and Savior. Thank You and all glory to You forever!

God’s love is amazing . . .

I cannot imagine what it would be like without parents who loved me. They are both gone now, but my childhood was secure, my teen years and well into adulthood. How blessed to have their love!

One of Satan’s original and greatest attacks against humanity is the suggestion that God does not love us. People fear God’s wrath, assume He is not listening and does not care, blame Him for tragedies, and have many negative ideas about God because our spiritual enemy utters his lies. But God says otherwise.

. . . I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. (Jeremiah 31:3)

Perhaps the biggest reason we fall for the lie is that we assume the love of God is based on our performance. Whenever I behave in ungodly ways, big or small, I easily bow my head in shame and concern myself about God’s love diminishing because of what I have done.

This is a mistake. The love of God is never based on what I do or do not do. If that were the case, then God could not love anyone — we all sin and fall short of His glory (Romans 3:23). We need to know that the love of God is not based on who I am, but on who He is, the God who loves.

Occasionally we meet people who are more loving and affectionate than most of us. They seem to care about everyone. Affection flows from their nature for they are affectionate people. That attitude is about who they are, not about the people around them. God is like that, but even more so. His love has been demonstrated in a myriad of ways, the most astonishing being the gift of His Son for our sin.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7–8)

His love was expressed while we were still sinners, meaning that we did nothing to earn or deserve it. It is about Him, not me. That means I cannot do anything that will change the way God loves me, nor can anything or anyone else interfere with it . . .  

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? (Romans 8:35)

The trials of life do not mean God has stopped loving me either. So often the understanding of His love is based on how well things are going. If I do that, every bad situation brings doubt about His love. But the Bible makes it clear . . .

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37–39)

The love of God is expressed in the life, death and resurrection of His Son. Nothing I do or fail to do will change that reality.

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Personal note: Had a heart check today that was most encouraging. My crazy A-fib has almost righted itself without any extra meds. The person who did all the tests said she would not be surprised if it is beating normally within a few days. All related tests were good, including my blood pressure — which is about the same as a teenager. I am still feeling more tired than usual, but naps are an easy fix.  

Can your idol love you like you adore it?

Idolatry is substituting human love for the love of God. Human love by today’s definitions covers everything from lust to noble tenderness, from pornography to pizza. While these definitions may be broad in scope, this kind of love falls short when measured with the love of God.

God’s love is eternal. He says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” (Jeremiah 31:3) The love of humans might be extended to our idols, but the idols are not obligated to love us in return. Money or the things it buys cannot love us, and adored humans may not even know we exist.

God’s love is merciful. “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved . . .” (Ephesians 2:4–5) Idols might build our ego or make us feel important, but they cannot lift us from the deadness of sin, forgive those sins, and give us eternal life.

God’s love changes who we are. “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (1 John 3:1) Human love can set the heart sailing and produce delight and joy. It can make a man change diapers and a woman wash dirty socks, but it cannot make us a child of God or change us so much that the world cannot figure us out.

God’s love does much more. Even the following short description is far beyond the reach of human love . . .

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4–7)

Because of Jesus Christ, this “love of God is poured into our hearts . . .” (Romans 5:5) and as Christians obey Him, He pours it from our hearts into the lives of others This is the huge difference between human love and God’s love — the focus. My love focuses on me, on what the object of my love can do for me, what benefits I get from ‘caring’ about someone or something else that I’ve put on a pedestal. The love of God benefits me too, but it is not about me. His love is about others, about loving Him and loving those made in His image.

Love from God is transparent, open, a ‘being myself’ kind of love that trusts God entirely. Because I know that He will meet all my needs, even my emotional need for love, I am free to do whatever He asks in relationship to others. This includes sacrifice of time, effort, money, anything that will show love to them. This love includes grace (giving when undeserved) and mercy (giving even if the opposite is deserved) and loving like God loves has an eternal focus. There is no trace of “what’s in this for me now” when God’s love flows through His people.

If idols could love, they would lap up the attention or affection given them to build their own sense of importance. Idols cannot and will not give back without full consideration for themselves. God is not like that — and Jesus Christ proves it. 

All is His . . . all is mine

A wealthy landowner took his pastor to the top of a hill and waved his hand towards the broad countryside before them. He said, “Everything you see belongs to me.”

The pastor said, “Oh no. Everything you see belongs to me.”

The landowner was puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“Scripture says that everything belongs to Christ and because I belong to Him, everything He has belongs to me. This is as much mine as it is yours, but for the moment you have the responsibility of tending it, being a steward of it, and making it yield something for the glory of God.”

The startled landowner fell to his knees and dedicated himself, his family, and his lands to God. The pastor spoke and the landowner responded according to these verses . . .

For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. (1 Corinthians 3:22–23)

In context, this statement is made to people who were putting those they “followed” on pedestals and using that association to elevate themselves beside their heroes. This happens today too. People boast of their human leaders or others, putting them on a pedestal, perhaps not realizing this is idolatry.

I could do this. I could brag of once being a member of the church led by a very prominent pastor, writer and Bible teacher. I could boast that I’ve had lunch with famous authors, visited the home of noted scholars and teachers, and engaged in correspondence with those whom others have elevated to star status. The temptation is there, but doing this is folly.

For one thing, the prominent pastor occasionally loses his car keys like the rest of us do, and the authors cannot balance their checkbooks or are extremely disorganized. Even the “stars” make typos and misspell words. Each of us has our quirks and foibles. No one is pedestal material.

For another thing, relying on people for status is idolatry. Christ is the only perfect person and worthy of honor and glory. If I need any standing in this world, any sense of importance of being special, I must get it from belonging to Him, not from the people I know, or anything else.

However, I can say this far more easily than living it. When put down, or feeling discouraged, or thinking my worth in the world is less than zero, I tend to want human praise and encouragement. I want a friend to tell me I’m okay, or good, or helpful. I want to be special, even if it is merely by knowing or standing beside someone that is highly respected, as if their glory will rub off on me.  

Every day I look at three letters; L – A - C. They remind me that I am loved with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3), accepted in the beloved (Ephesians 1:6) and made capable in Christ (Philippians 4:13). Jesus stands by me and elevates me. I am His child and He belongs to me just as I belong to Him.

Putting people on a pedestal because of what they have or do makes no sense. All things belong to God (and to me) and everything we have, including the ability to draw our next breath, comes from God also. He is our source and resource, and He alone is worthy of our allegiance. He calls on us to hear and obey Him, to realize all things are from Him, and to call upon Him in our need . . .

Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. (Psalm 50:14–15)

Whether it is land and other possessions, or people and our associations with them, all belong to Jesus Christ. He freely shares whatever I need and freely offers people to encourage me, yet all goodness and help comes from Him. To Him belongs the glory.