August 12, 2014
The Spiritual Cancer
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).
Friend to Friend
I hate cancer! I have lost many loved ones to this dreaded disease and have come to despise its very existence. I need to feel the same way about spiritual cancer.
C.S. Lewis called pride a “spiritual cancer” that devours love and contentment. Pride is a sign of our own insecurity and feelings of inferiority. Pride and inferiority are actually opposite sides of the same coin and are both sin, a preoccupation with self that leaves little room for God’s spirit of humility. Spurgeon poetically warned us not to be proud of “race, face, or place.”
We all struggle with pride, and must constantly battle the tendency to measure every circumstance and relationship against the narcissistic viewpoint of “What’s in it for me?” Pride has no place in the life of a Christian because pride steps between God and us. To think that God stands in opposition against prideful people is a strong and sobering statement that should send us all running to the place of humility. Because He is a loving Father, God opposes pride, in part, for what it does to His children.
“Pride will destroy a person; a proud attitude leads to ruin. It is better to be humble and be with those who suffer than to share stolen property with the proud” (Proverbs 16:18-19).
Learning to deal with pride is an important and essential part of spiritual growth.
Pride prevents us from seeing others as God sees them.
Pride holds us back from laying down our rights in order to reach out to those who cross our path.
Pride slowly erodes the humble spirit God so wants to see in His people and in their relationships.
I suspect a good dose of humility would cure many of our failing marriages, broken family relationships and struggling friendships. Then the question becomes, how can we rid our lives of pride and prevent it from carving out a destructive stronghold from which relationship problems arise? The answer is found in a passage of Scripture written by the apostle Paul and directed to the church in Rome.
Romans 12:3 -6; 10 “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”
Paul certainly understood what it meant to struggle with pride. Before his encounter with Christ, Paul had been a man of great arrogance. After all, he was a power broker in the Roman government as well as a highly regarded and chief persecutor of anyone following Jesus Christ. Paul had no idea what the road to Damascus held for him that day when God interrupted Paul’s life with His blinding love. Everything changed. Paul became a humble man, the walking definition of a servant, delighting in his new role of striving to be last among the least. Paul understood that he was a trophy of grace; that his heart had been captured by grace and his life completely transformed in the process. God’s grace was Paul’s starting place and finish line and the very reason Paul was so humble and so powerful. God says that in order to be strong we must choose weakness, and in order to be first, we must be content to be last.
The amazing truth is that grace is ours for the asking. God stands ready to pour His priceless grace into every heart and soul. His grace then produces an unexplainable peace, eternal life, unending joy, and freedom from sin through His unconditional love. Grace offers us the riches of God, at the expense of Jesus Christ and His death on the cross.
Pride’s goal is to make us independent of God, duping us into believing that we are in control of our own fate and are able to call our own shots. What audacity we possess as humans to think we can live life on our own when, whether we admit it or not, we are totally dependent on God. Pride convinces us that we can play God, worshipping ourselves while erecting false idols shrouded in rebellion and sin. Pride is the universal religion of hell and a deadly poison.
A friend recently told me about a new product she found listed online. “Disposable Guilt Bags” first appeared in a few select stores to test the market. I could have told the creator that guilt exists in abundance and that people will go to any lengths to assuage their guilt. My friend explained that you could buy a set of Disposable Guilt Bags, ten ordinary brown bags on which were printed the following instructions: "Place the bag securely over your mouth. Take a deep breath and blow out all of your guilt. Close the bag and dispose of immediately.” The amazing part of this story is that the Associated Press reported that over 2500 kits had sold immediately at $2.50 per kit.
Nothing on this earth is powerful enough to erase guilt. We try to “fix” ourselves but fail. The only power that makes it possible to be forgiven is God’s grace. “In Christ we are set free by the blood of his death. And so we have forgiveness of sins because of God's rich grace.” (Ephesians 1:7) When our lives are lived against the backdrop of grace, pride will die from a lack of attention.
Let’s Pray
Lord, please forgive my arrogant heart. I am so sorry for the pride I see in my life. Today, I ask You to search my heart and destroy the strongholds of pride and ego. Help me to recognize prideful thoughts and actions in my life. Give me the discernment to be honest and transparent before You and with others. I, too, am a trophy of grace. Help me to live like one.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Read the following verses and answer each question:
- Psalm 10:4 (NIV)“In his pride the wicked does not seek Him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” How does pride affect our relationship with God? Is this true in your life?
- Proverbs 16:5 (NIV) “The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” What is God’s attitude toward those who are proud?
- Psalm 40:4 (NIV) “Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.” How does pride encourage idolatry? Do you have any idols in your life? Name them and eliminate each one.
What decision do you need to make today in order to choose grace over pride? What would that look like in your daily life?
More from the Girlfriends
Looking for a Bible Study that is both practical and powerful? Mary has two NEW E-Book Bible Studies: The Secret of Contentment and The Power of Forgiveness. Each one includes a study guide that you can download for your personal use or for a small group study.
Be sure to check out Mary’s weekly Online Bible Study beginning August 11: A Glimpse of Heaven. Enroll now and have access to all 2014 lessons. Connect with Mary on Facebook or through email.
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