Focused Pride

(Pro 16:18 KJV)  Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

I think that we sometimes get proud for all the right reasons.  They are right because they are Biblical in isolation.  We are to be holy.  We are to live upright lives.  We are to be moral and honest.  And we are.  That is something to celebrate and be glad in.  So where is the problem?

We start to turn our focus away from the reality that we are nothing without the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.  We have nothing to say if all we can say is “live long and prosper.”  That is a wonderful thought but it misses that fact that God is the one holding the universe together.  In our pride we get real good at mouthing that and still believing in our hearts that it is because of something we have done.  

I recently was doing an organ recital with another old guy.  We were looking at how hard some have it and how blessed we are.  I shared that the temptation is to believe that I am healthier because I am more righteous.  That may be true because God gives us living patterns for a reason but it is pride to assume it is really from our discipline and effort.

So?  Rejoice in what God does for us and through us.  It might be a good idea to write a note to yourself that you could read every morning to remind you that it is all because of Him.