Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
9/13/2022
"Some people would rather die in their pride than live in their humility."
-Anthony Liccione.
Pride and humility are diabolically opposed – it’s like light and darkness. Throughout most of my life, I have been a very prideful man. Trying not to make it so obvious of course. So much of it was justified, in my mind, in the battle for success. Scrambling for that ring of glory and recognition. Everybody did it, everybody does it. I was just doing what the world was trying to do.
I was caught in so many of my own traps of pride. Doing some things that were benevolent or thoughtful and what was wrong with getting recognized for it? You know, not a lot, but at least middle ground. Isn’t that reasonable?
And I am certain therein lies the battle. Jesus‘s example of coming to earth was a complete emptying of himself to not take on the trappings of Lord of Lords but humbled himself to be fully man. 100% experiencing every frustration, every temptation every battle between humility and pride that we do.
I cannot begin to tell you how many times I had the best intentions to do something, to share something, to give something in true grace and charity. But then somebody would say something very complimentary. They would build me up and just a little bit of leaven got into my loaf and it caused the bread to rise. So the battle raged year after year decade after decade.
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1 John 2:15-17 (NASB) “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world–the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does–comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away,
but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”
I can’t tell you how many times over these years the Lord has humbled me. And my pride was broken but I think in hindsight, more in my flesh than in my spirit. You have to stop and think about the difference between those two. In the world we get called out, shut down even humiliated at times for something that we did or didn’t do. Our feelings get hurt, it was deep enough to leave a scar. And the first reaction was often defense and retaliation. Yes, my pride was injured but what came from that was the fruit of the world not the fruit of the spirit.
The way up is the way down. Completely the opposite of the world.
Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Again Jesus is our model. He humbled himself even unto death on the cross. He went like a lamb to the slaughter without a sound. Humility personified. We can’t have salvation without humility. without that ultimate sacrifice of him humbling himself – we would all still be on the outside looking in.
There must be an app or some type of 3-point sermon to get me there.
So how do we get there?
Isaiah 23:9 “The LORD Almighty planned it, to bring low the pride of all glory and to humble all who are renowned on the earth.”
God resists the proud in order to show them their need of him,
resulting in his glory.
We must change the source of our lives. We are weak whether you know it or not. Abiding is how you live the Christian life. I think it’s the same mentality too many enter Christianity with. I have invited God into my life! When the truth is He has invited us into His. Col 1:27 "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory"
I found these notes online: What Humility is Not
Humility is not a lack of direction, desire, and godly ambition.
It is NOT wrong to want to be used of God or advance in the kingdom of God. God wants to use you to do great things for him. God is not glorified by a losing or defeatist mentality.
1. Humility is not denying the gifts and graces God has given you.
• It is important to know what you are gifted in. Realize you are called to help and serve others.
• Humility is not putting yourself down. It is being sober in your assessment and walking in the acknowledgment of God’s grace.
It is using what God has given you for His glory.
2. Humility is not a lack of direction, desire, and godly ambition.
• It is not wrong to want to be used of God or advance in the kingdom of God. God wants to use you to do great things for him.
God is not glorified by a losing or defeatist mentality.
3. Humility is not denying the work of God within you or in the church.
4. Humility is not the pursuit of mediocrity.
• You should pursue excellence but not with the motivation of calling attention to yourself or trying to impress people.
• Humility allows you to enjoy the gifts of God without trying to impress others.
5. Humility is not denying or backing away from the truth.
• You are called to be righteous and humble. You are responsible to speak the truth in love without being self-righteously critical.
Ask God to illuminate your heart so you can begin to see the fruits of pride in your life. Ask friends to point out the fruits of pride in your life, realizing your heart is exceedingly deceitful.
Each of us must meet the qualifications if we are to go on in God.
Humility is the attitude upon which everything else is built!
The Gaither Band Sometimes it takes a mountain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-24kkrKp1Y
