on pride (again)

Make a list of what you believe to be your strengths. Your gifts, talents. Things that you enjoy doing. Things that, when God lays it on your heart to serve someone, you would first think to do. If you are convinced that you know of a spiritual gift that God has blessed you with, be sure that you include it in your list.

Now, consider the list you have made. Do you know that it is also a list of your weaknesses? These are your greatest vulnerabilities because they are areas of life and experience where it is easiest to act independently of God. These are areas where you can quickly forget about Him, both in terms of depending on Him for the power and ultimately giving Him the glory. When someone thanks you for your service, or compliments your devotion, your human pride easily sneaks in to lap it up! Consider this statement by Augustine:

Other sins find their vent in the accomplishment of evil deeds, whereas pride lies in wait for good deeds, to destroy them.

God has recently been showing me areas in my life where, even if there was no overt pride felt or expressed, there were still "cracks in the character" where pride seeped in and motivated my responses to tests and trials, rather than the humility of mind that He desires. That I am shocked to find these weaknesses is telling of the depth of my need for Christ, even after He has grown me for these years.

Praise God for His love and patience with me! I figure that all of my life, most (if not all) of my struggles and failures will be traceable to pride. As C. S. Lewis said,

Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.