When trials come no longer fear
For in the pain our God draws near
To fire a faith worth more than gold
And there His faithfulness is told
And there His faithfulness is told
Within the night I know Your peace
The breath of God brings strength to me
And new each morning mercy flows
As treasures of the darkness grow
As treasures of the darkness grow
I turn to Wisdom not my own
For every battle You have known
My confidence will rest in You
Your love endures Your ways are good
Your love endures Your ways are good
When I am weary with the cost
I see the triumph of the cross
So in it’s shadow I shall run
Till You complete the work begun
Till You complete the work begun
One day all things will be made new
I’ll see the hope You called me to
And in your kingdom paved with gold
I’ll praise your faithfulness of old
I’ll praise your faithfulness of old
Keith & Kristyn Getty
Sometimes I wonder if pride or selfishness could be called the root of all sin. Money is cited as being that, but isn't even the love of money based on the root of selfishness? I am amazed at how many things I can take pride in... Not the good "I'm proud of you son!" pride, but rather the slithering permeating pride that may only manifest itself on the outside as "humility". The best part is I think I'm being humble the entire time!
I found that I can even take pride in what God has done.
Trials come to all of us. If we overcome them, we are lauded as great heroes. If we fail, depending on the seeming epicness of the fail, we are either shunned or we refer to it as our stumbling block.
Heroes. That sounds so nice! "Yeah, I, uh, went through this trial, and, well, I responded thusly and smote the FLAMING ARROWS OF THE DEVIL!!!!" Toss some Bible verses in there and you'll be the model for the next Captain Bible comic book.
Here's the thing, maybe we don't actually do that. Verbally, we give all of the glory to God. It's not our mouth that directly worships God. It is our heart. Our attitudes and motives. Even though we can completely acknowledge when it comes down to it that surviving that trial had nothing to do with us and it was God alone, we are still inclined to congratulate ourselves.
It may not even be an immediate response. In my personal life, I never really told people about the situation for a few months. It was when I began to enjoy telling it to everyone I met that the pride started to sneak in. Did you know sin feels really good going down? And then it gives you the worst heartburn. Then we run for our gracious Savior for forgiveness, which He so freely gives.
Our trials are not all about us. James 1 tells us to count it all joy when we are in temptations (trials) because this produces the fruit of patience. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says "there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." The faithfulness does not have anything to with us, but rather the grace of God.
It's kinda like walking into the Louvre and standing next to the Mona Lisa and insisting that you painted it. That seems ridiculous, yet this is how our pride is.
Because of Him,
Missa
I found that I can even take pride in what God has done.
Trials come to all of us. If we overcome them, we are lauded as great heroes. If we fail, depending on the seeming epicness of the fail, we are either shunned or we refer to it as our stumbling block.
Heroes. That sounds so nice! "Yeah, I, uh, went through this trial, and, well, I responded thusly and smote the FLAMING ARROWS OF THE DEVIL!!!!" Toss some Bible verses in there and you'll be the model for the next Captain Bible comic book.
Here's the thing, maybe we don't actually do that. Verbally, we give all of the glory to God. It's not our mouth that directly worships God. It is our heart. Our attitudes and motives. Even though we can completely acknowledge when it comes down to it that surviving that trial had nothing to do with us and it was God alone, we are still inclined to congratulate ourselves.
It may not even be an immediate response. In my personal life, I never really told people about the situation for a few months. It was when I began to enjoy telling it to everyone I met that the pride started to sneak in. Did you know sin feels really good going down? And then it gives you the worst heartburn. Then we run for our gracious Savior for forgiveness, which He so freely gives.
Our trials are not all about us. James 1 tells us to count it all joy when we are in temptations (trials) because this produces the fruit of patience. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says "there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." The faithfulness does not have anything to with us, but rather the grace of God.
It's kinda like walking into the Louvre and standing next to the Mona Lisa and insisting that you painted it. That seems ridiculous, yet this is how our pride is.
Because of Him,
Missa
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