Scriptural Foundation:
Proverbs 16:18 New King James Version (NKJV)
Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
Psalm 31:30-31 New King James Version (NKJV)
Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Reflection:
The pride of life in this world smells worse than a dead skunk on the side of the road in the middle of summer. Our society celebrates the self-made man or woman, while shaming the helpless and the hopeless. This is the total opposite to what the Bible says we should do.
The Christian who is pure and without fault, from God the Father’s point of view, is the one who takes care of orphans and widows, and who remains true to the Lord—not soiled and dirtied by his contacts with the world. – James 1:27 (TLB)
The more I listen to the cries of the women I come in contact with, the more I am convinced that self-reliance is not the way. As the birthers of life (whether you have had children or not), we as women feel obligated to fix all issues presented us. That same is true with the men that my husband ministers to – everyone is trying to take on the world on their own. Neither side was not created to carry the burden of their household alone. Coupled with our sinful nature, it is no wonder we all tend to feel alone and overwhelmed by the cares of this life. God didn’t create us to be self-reliant. How else would we, truly experience joy…happiness is something felt by one, but the joy of the Lord overflows into the lives of others. Beloved, we were created to cultivate the gifts in ourselves and in turn, the people around us.
So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. – 1 Corinthians 3:7-9
We may have come into this world alone and will exit in the same manner, but while we are here, we are all a part of something bigger than ourselves. How can you have reverence for the Lord, if you can’t see past yourself? The measure of a person statue should not be the things that he/she has accomplished, but in the moments and fruit that was produced through the cultivation of purposefully acts of love (Psalms 31:30-31). Live your life, like someone is taking care of you…because He is.
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. – Psalm 34:15
Seeking Revelation:
Grab your notebook:
- What areas of your life make you the proudest?
- Is it because of what the Lord has done or is it something you “made happen”?
- What areas of your life brings you the most grief?
- In James 1:17 it says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” What person or situation is causing your grief today? Have you truly surrendered it over to the Lord? If not, what are you waiting for?