Pride Shows Up in Our Little, Small, Seemingly Insignificant Decisions

While I am on the topic of my of a prideful heart (See last week’s post: “The Subtlety of Pride”), I want to dig a little deeper here into what motivations are revealed by the actions we take.

You see, pride, as we talked about last week, isn’t always super obvious. Sometimes, it’s not directly manifested in a “Nah, God, I don’t wanna.” Sometimes, it’s just displayed in the actions we take on our day-to-day, the little choices that say, “I trust my judgement of what’s best for me more than I trust God’s.”

For me, as one example of many, it’s displayed in my addiction to comfort & ease. I like quick food, pajamas all day, & will look for any & every reason to kill several hours playing a video game or binging a show, rather than ever asking God how I might best feel refreshed while asking HIM how I best ought to use my time.

This repetitive striving after comfort, like most bad habits, is indicative of pride.

What Do I Hold Most Dear?

It’s pride when I want to seek comfort & ease more than I am willing to drop all of that to: 1. Honor God with the choices on how I treat the body He made for me, 2. Treat the day as something I can use to give God glory, & 3. Turn to Him for guidance on how to best use that day vs vegging out on the couch for hours on end…

That takes a humility & surrender to say, “Not my will, but Thine be done.”

When my actions are self-focused throughout each day, catering to my own whims & whimsies, or even small pockets of free time that I automatically dub as “DESERVED” ME-time, it reveals that my motivations are focused on ME.

And not even saying that you can’t ever rest, as I mentioned last week, because God created the Sabbath knowing we NEED regular rest (Mark 2:27)… BUT, when we don’t trust that He KNOWS just how much rest we do need & so we take it upon ourselves to determine that (& the how) ourselves, clinging to “our” time… that’s pride.

What Determines Where You Spend Your Time?

How are your priorities? Where do you spend your free time? Do you ever ask God how to spend your time?

If someone were to watch your daily goings on, what motivations would your actions reveal? Who or what would they determine to mean the most to you or be the most important part of your life? For me, sadly, they would probably think quick food, pajamas, & video games are my top priorities, if they were to observe how I use my free time.

It’s a constant wrestling match for me because it’s one thing to KNOW I should ask God & it’s a whole other thing to place my faith in Him knowing better than me & acting on that FACT.

An unwillingness to sit & pray for more than a few quick moments… a resistance to read the Bible or even to go beyond a quick read to studying, dwelling on, & memorizing it… choosing how we spend our free time vs asking God how it ought best be used…. Those are ALL things with which I either HAVE struggled with, or currently STILL struggle.

It’s pride manifested in how I use my time.

A Prayer of Hope & Change & Grateful Humility

“Lord, I know that You see the true state of my heart. The rearing up at the thought that maybe You might not want me to use “MY” free time the way I want to & instead keeping that from You so I can cling to it…. The distrust & unwillingness to surrender fully to You… Please forgive me. I have such a selfish, prideful heart that believes & acts as if You don’t know infinitely better than me what I might need at any given moment… as if You can’t supply where I lack when You direct me toward a specific task for Your glory & honor. I am sorry. I don’t deserve Your faithfulness & goodness. I don’t deserve Your relentless, gentle pursuit of my heart. If I were You, I would have just shook my head, thrown my hands up, & walked away, thinking, “This one’s case is useless. I give up.” But You don’t. EVER. Thank You God for Your amazing, pursuing love of me, of all of us. You ARE Love. Forgive me, Lord. Help loosen my white-knuckled grip on the pointless things I seem to value far above their actual worth, knowing only You can really satisfy me the way my restless heart craves. You know what I need best & You are my supply. THANK YOU. I love You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, AMEN.”

What Motivations Do Your Actions Reveal?

What are you holding back from Him? What do you think He can’t handle or supply to your preference? Where do you tend to take the reins from Him for control? What motivations do your actions reveal?

Take some time to pray right now & ask Him for forgiveness over those areas.

Thank Him for His long-suffering, patient mercy & grace… His faithfulness.

Ask Him to help you become more aware of these self-seeking, distrusting decisions & for help in laying them at His feet for His answer/solution/lead.

He loves you. More than you could EVER get from any other human being… from ALL human beings combined. He DIED FOR YOU to reconcile you to Himself (Ephesians 2:1-7).

He knows you. He made you & knit you together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). He knows what you need better than you do.

Trust Him. Surrender to Him. Experience HIS living water where you won’t need to thirst for anything else (John 4:14).

Shine HOPE by determining to lay down your pride in EVERYthing & seek to live a life that pleases Him, honors Him, & gives Him glory. Be holy, for He is holy (1 Peter 1:16).

Coming Next Week

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