C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity that pride leads to every other vice. If that’s the case, we all have pride, and God does not like pride. Proverbs 8:13 says, The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way, and the perverted mouth, I hate.
I went to a dinner with eight other people tonight. It was my turn to bring the main dish. Other folks brought bread, or salad, or the dessert. I worked on a homemade sauce from organic tomato sauce, organic crushed tomatoes, and a half portion of organic tomato paste, a half non-organic. A little parsley that was growing in a pot in the kitchen, a little taste of regional honey, other spices, It seemed flavorful. Then, adding sixty-four small store-brand turkey meatballs, it simmered for hours. When I sampled it, it tasted mostly of ground turkey, which didn’t appeal to me.
I thought it was because I’ve been eating vegan foods most days. When the whole group raved over the salad, I asked my husband how the sauce was. “Okay.”
“Ouch.”
I like to think I’m a good cook.
Then, I pulled out my guitar. The guy who usually plays re-strung his guitar last night, so he didn’t want to bring it tonight. I usually coast along, following his lead. When i play at church, I use music sheets and don’t memorize the chords. He refused, in a polite way, to take my guitar. “Go ahead. Play some songs, the chords will come to you.”
I couldn’t convince him to use my instrument. So, I gave in. Some songs sounded okay. Not one was perfect. Occasionally, I stopped strumming and we sang a cappella.
Afterwards, my friend said, “You got stretched tonight, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did.”
In Proverbs 16:18, it says, Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.
It occurs to me that when I pray for God to change me to be more like Him, He’ll gently point out areas that need improvement. He’ll lovingly chip away at stuff that needs to go.
I saw pride raise its ugly head in two areas tonight. There could be more, hidden away, trying to trip me up. “LORD, help me to be aware of things You want gone. Thank You for the grace to adapt and repent. I can’t do it without You.”
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