The Humility of Abraham or Pride of Babel
Eddie Snipes
Isaiah 57:15
I want to start by looking at Isaiah 57:15
(read verse).
God has a plan for each person's life. Pride kills our ability to follow God's plan. 1 Peter 5:5 and James 4:6 warn us that God gives grace to the humble but resists the proud. From Genesis to Revelation this warning is echoed over and over again: God hates pride. Proverbs 16:18 - 19 warns us that pride leads to destruction and a haughty spirit comes before a person falls. This passage goes on to warn that it is better to be lowly and humble than to be rich and proud. Benjamin Franklin said it best. He said, "Humility is a virtue so difficult to grasp that if I should ever attain to it, I would be proud of myself."
I believe that humility is directly affected by the size of our God. If we think little of God or don't believe God can direct our lives, we will think that we are able to do a better job than He can or we will be like Nebuchadnezzar who looked at his accomplishments and boasted, "Look what I have done". God showed Nebuchadnezzar what he amounted to without God - a mad man who grazed the fields like an animal. When we put God in proper perspective, our self-image will fall into the right perspective. Humility is not hanging your head low and belittling yourself. Humility is depending on the sovereignty of God, understanding that His ways are right, choosing to align ourselves with the will of God and trusting His ability to lead and direct us. It is a never-ending growing process. That is why Jesus made the statement, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me." Luke 9:23.
Denying our own ways is an essential part of following Christ. Self-denial is the first step in following God's will. Self-denial is not the same as depriving yourself, it is depending on God to supply our desires and needs and not playing God with our own lives. I don' ...
Eddie Snipes
Isaiah 57:15
I want to start by looking at Isaiah 57:15
(read verse).
God has a plan for each person's life. Pride kills our ability to follow God's plan. 1 Peter 5:5 and James 4:6 warn us that God gives grace to the humble but resists the proud. From Genesis to Revelation this warning is echoed over and over again: God hates pride. Proverbs 16:18 - 19 warns us that pride leads to destruction and a haughty spirit comes before a person falls. This passage goes on to warn that it is better to be lowly and humble than to be rich and proud. Benjamin Franklin said it best. He said, "Humility is a virtue so difficult to grasp that if I should ever attain to it, I would be proud of myself."
I believe that humility is directly affected by the size of our God. If we think little of God or don't believe God can direct our lives, we will think that we are able to do a better job than He can or we will be like Nebuchadnezzar who looked at his accomplishments and boasted, "Look what I have done". God showed Nebuchadnezzar what he amounted to without God - a mad man who grazed the fields like an animal. When we put God in proper perspective, our self-image will fall into the right perspective. Humility is not hanging your head low and belittling yourself. Humility is depending on the sovereignty of God, understanding that His ways are right, choosing to align ourselves with the will of God and trusting His ability to lead and direct us. It is a never-ending growing process. That is why Jesus made the statement, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me." Luke 9:23.
Denying our own ways is an essential part of following Christ. Self-denial is the first step in following God's will. Self-denial is not the same as depriving yourself, it is depending on God to supply our desires and needs and not playing God with our own lives. I don' ...
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