There are those who would orchestrate events to center around themselves, make themselves out to be a martyr and implore an outrageous vocabulary of obscure words to over-impress their loyal following.
There are those who thump their Bible publicly, sacrilegiously touting a prosperity gospel that the desperate and unenlightened just may buy ($) into, doing more to send someone to hell than to reach them with the Gospel of Christ.
There are Christian hedonists who think that God is all about their satisfaction, too focused on self-fulfillment and their own experience of God to ever contemplate the vastness of God and His purposes that may in fact include our suffering and brevity of physical life.
There are entertaining churches filled with consumeristic Christians.
There are hyper Calvinists who believe that they are chosen and that others are damned . . . that God's sacrifice was only for some and their focus is personal growth.
There are Arminians who believe that the blood of the lost is on their own personal hands . . . that their presentation of the gospel is paramount, disregarding that the power is in the gospel itself, that the Spirit draws the unbeliever and that God's gift of eternal life is secure.
There are many who practice idolatry under the guise of Christianity.
And, sadly, there are many who blaspheme the Holy Spirit, rejecting the gift of eternal life.
all of this and more in a culture where politicians deceive, unwed mothers abort, married couples divorce, consumerism rules, greed is a way of life, violence and suicides plague daily life; and enjoyment, entertainment and possession are the highest of aspirations
This is pride, and our society, both secular & non, is permeated with it. What happens next? Sure we're in a period of grace, but how far will we as a culture be allowed to go? God only knows. We do know He does not change. He offered much grace to Israel & Judah - - but there came a time to pay a price for the pride of kings and nations. There was even reckoning for the pride of heathen kings and nations (remember Nebuchanezzar & Belshazzar?)
Is pride a sin that is at the root of all other sin? It seems that way to me. So then, how do we combat it? Can we combat it? We all possess the capacity to be totally consumed by it. And to not be is a continual personal choice of emptying ourselves and being filled with the things of God (His Word, namely). And even then, we can fail.
We can't force this choice on the rest of the world. We can pray for conviction, but the humbling of oneself is not just a matter of the Spirit's conviction, it is a matter of responding to it.
So this is where we find ourselves and I guess the conclusion, once again, is that God is God and we are not. He knows where we are right now as a people and as individuals. He knows where we're headed. His glorification and purposes are in no way dependent on us and our choices. So we can love Him, and know Him, enjoy Him, obey and strive to please Him. We can comfort and encourage one another while the day is here.
Thoughts?
The previous posting on pride: Sad State Of Affairs, part 1 was posted on 1/5/08
6 comments:
Kerri -
Your writing is excellent and always penetrates me in a deep way. Thank you for going public and reaching more than you realize. It is a privilege to know you and call you friend.
Love,
Laura
P.S. I tried to post something profound (ha ha) on one of your earlier posts about your trip in March. I was unsuccessful and simply cannot remember what was my intent. Isn't that frustrating? I
Laura,
Thanks for your comment. I posted this and thought . . . who is possibly going to benefit from this? It's really just me ranting on thru means of a keyboard. Perhaps with our impending departure from the states I'm disconnecting from the culture of the U.S. more and more, and as I do I'm struck by the depravity of it. (With that said, I'm often struck by my own depravity as well.)
I had thought after posting this last night that I definitely need to lighten up.
Don't let yourself be frustrated about a comment you didn't get posted. If you saw my "edit posts" page you'd get a kick out of all the unposted, unfinished stuff - - many with just a title, some with a few thoughts, and most abandoned forever.
Laura, I'm privileged and blessed that you are my friend. It was cool that we passed on the road today. It was a reminder to me to pray for you and for Gabriel's visit.
Kerri, my goodness, girl. You give new meaning to the verse (I paraphrase): "in the last days He will pour out His Spirit and women and children will prophesy". I should look it up, but I'm lazy. It's Saturday, after all.
Powerful post. selahV
Kerri,
SelahV sent me your way and I thank her for doing so. I hope you plan to keep your blog going when you are in Brazil if you will be writing stuff like this. I too get discouraged about the state of affairs in the Christian community. I wrestle with God all the time over His command to love my brethren who behave in such an unloving manner far too often. He always wins but the process grows me and teaches me, I just happen to be a slow learner at times!
Praise God for the work He is doing in you and how He has worked things out for you to take His message to another culture. May you always rest in Him, especially as He molds you even more between now and your departure, and again while you are there. I get the feeling you are well aware of the challenges ahead and the blessing it is to be His servant.
God Bless,
Trish
Selah V,
You are such an encouragement to me. Thank you.
Kerri
Trish,
We've passed the same ways in our reading of posts and commenting. It's nice to be in a more direct line of communication. I had emailed Harriette that it's funny to me that God can use my blowing off some steam to encourage others.
Thanks for your comment, especially for your words of encouragement to rest in Him.
Kerri
Kerri,
Thank you for the sober thought. Pride is especially an enemy we should, every one, stalk out in our lives, never tiring until we've found it and choked it mercilessly until dead.
Grace. With that, I am...
Peter
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