Tuesday, 11 November 2008
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Pride: Are You Turning Down God?
Guest post by megeletto
Have you ever been in a situation where you have to do something that you are unfamiliar with, or work with a program that you don't already know, and someone who does know offers to assist you?
If you're anything like me then 9 out of 10 times you turn them down. I never want to be a burden on anyone else. I always think, "I can do it on my own, eventually. I don't need anyone's help." Pride keeps me from asking for help, even when others are willing. Pride also usually ends up leaving me with more work to do and requires more time to get everything done.
Now think about it this way: God is the expert.
We do a pretty poor job at "life" (if we are completely honest with ourselves). God is the only one who DOES know how to do "life", and He frequently asks us "Do you want My help? I just want to help you."
Yet, how often do we push God away and say, "I can do it on my own." How foolish and prideful we are sometimes. If God cares enough about us to offer to help then He obviously doesn't want us to fail. Unfortunately when we reject His help He has to watch us do just that.
We can't do life without God, it's impossible. Pride just separates us from God and therefore from true success and triumph in life. How much sweeter would it be to just let God drive and let Him work through us?
Have you been trying to make it without God's help? How is that going for you?
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Comments (12)
I tried that... numerous times. It has taken a lot, but recently I finally gave up on trying to do things on my own. I have many plans and things I want to do with my life. But are they God's will? I don't know yet. It's hard for me, but I'm learning to put all of my trust in him. Through experience, I've learned that trying to do things the way I want never really works out like I planned it would. And honestly, after I surrendered my life to the Lord, things have been amazing! I have never been so joyful in all my life. And it is really freeing. Knowing that everything is going to be okay because I'm walking in God's perfect will is the most amazing feeling in the world!
This post reminds me that pride is one of the seven deadly sins. But you kinda have to think that in order to get through life, you have to have pride in what you do and who you are. So if you do have pride, are you going against God? It can be taken literally or just something to think about.
@laytexduckie@xanga - I think having pride in what you do and who you are is different from the pride that is a deadly sin. Sinful pride is thinking that you others are below you because you can do such-and-such better than they can, and that you have nothing to learn from them. Or saying "look! look at what I did!" rather than "look what God did through me!"
Great post. We also don't seem to realize that when we let God drive, we have a lot more fun. It may not sound spiritual, but it's true. He helps us to do the things we're made to do, things that fulfill us.
@fading_rainbows@xanga - Good points. I agree with you.
You're right...I've tried this before and still do at times. No, it doesn't work, and it's something I have to work on! I can't do anything without God! I admit this and I realized it, but when it comes down to day-to-day living....pride is one of the worst things I deal with in my life.
depends on how much control you think God should have. He gave me a brain... i suspect He wants me to use it to figure things out for myself. actually, in retrospect my life was much more fulfilling as a non-Christian. but for completely different reasons.
@too_pretty_to_die@xanga - I totally agree with you.
However, one could argue that "Oh, but God allows you to live, to breathe, to wake up the next morning and that enough is all the help you need in order to accomplish the simplest of tasks everday blah blah." Yeah... uh... I can't really say much when I'm up against that.
I do know through previous experience that there are many times when God does not help. It's a fact, unfortunately. There are also times when God does answer my prayers and each and every time He does, I can't help but to admire and love God for who He is more and more.
@MrCheetah@xanga - i think the difference is that i really don't expect God to help. i pray to Him for the same reason i talk to any of my friends about my problems: venting, putting my feelings into words, forces me to act on them and make decisions about them. if God decides He wants to lend a hand in fixing things, it's up to Him. but i don't really pray with a specific goal in mind. knowing that He's listening is enough.
For the past few years, I've turned God down. I said I didn't need Him. I said I was smart enough, wise enough, strong enough to do it on my own.
I failed. And failed. And failed. And then I failed some more. I was making mistake after mistake after mistake, hurting those who were close to me. Hurting those who wanted to see me succeed at everything I set my heart on doing.
I didn't think anything of it. I figured it would get easier. Finally, making the worse mistake I possibly could have, I realized how far gone I was. I realized I couldn't get out of it myself. That's when I stopped and realized I needed Him.
And I prayed. And now that I have let God back into my life, I have no doubt He is going to help me do the right thing and learn from the mistakes I made.
God likes to seem me suffer within myself.
I'm going through that right now, actually, and I think running across this post is a sign of sorts, it's so relevant to this moment...