“For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not recieved it?” 1 Cor. 4:7
Today’s Christian Daily Devotional
These verses are touching on the subject of pride. The first thing that comes to my mind are my personal memories of competing in bikini contests. I would see many gorgeous women that paraded on the stage as if they owned the world. (And, I am sure in their little part of the world, they did!) Many people bowed to these beautiful girl’s every whim. Often, these women seemed proud of their “accomplishments” (of being born beautiful, and having an official sash to prove it). Their attitudes of self-centeredness and entitlement were thicker than their perfume; and everyone in their presence was aware of it.
Today, these contests (and attitudes that come with them) seem so foolish to me. How can one be proud of something (in this case physical beauty) that was just given to them? Instead of being proud, when we should be thankful to the God who allowed those blessings to come to us.
Those bikini contests are just an extreme example of how easy it is for us humans to have an outward arrogance of the gifts bestowed to us by God. I suppose many of us have had the same attitude when it comes to other areas in our lives.
For example, one can have an attitude of pride in his/her ability to be spontaneously witty, to host a lavish dinner without breaking a sweat, or even be boastful at the thought of others respecting his/her education or social status. It is all just the same ugly sin wrapped up in a different circumstance. Pride. God gives and God can take away. That should humble you down to keeping it real with yourself!
“Dear Heavenly Father,
Who am I to be gifted with all that you have chosen to bless me with? As I get older, the things that I have taken for granted, (my youth, my health, my provisions) are more obvious and precious to me than ever. Pride will keep me from being thankful to a God who loves to bless. It will actually stop more blessings from happening in my life; and I want no part of that! Lord, thank you for all that I have. Thank you for all that is possible for me in my future. Open my eyes to see the gifts that you have given me, and give me the wisdom to develop these to their full potential. As I do all things with a joyful and thankful heart, let my smile be a testimony that God is good and that He is the one that provides all the blessings and abilities I have to go for the dreams He places deep in my spirit. In Jesus’ precious name, I pray against my own pride, and give you credit for all things good, Amen.”