By: Sister Tarpley, NDG Religion Editor
“And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 8:18 (NKJV)
Pride is the greatest temptation to a successful Christian. When we begin accumulating wealth, managing people, and becoming known for our community expertise, we are most susceptible to falling to the most devious sin in God’s eyes — pride. The Bible tells us that God is the reason we are able to produce wealth. It is not of our own making. As soon as we move into the place where we begin to think more highly of ourselves than we ought, God says He will take action.
You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”…. If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 8:17,19 and 20).
These are strong words from God. It demonstrates His utter impatience for any people who think that what they have accomplished has anything to do with their own power. It is God who gives us the skill, the mind, the resources, the energy, the drive, and the opportunities in life to accomplish anything. When we become prideful in heart, God will begin a process of reproof in our life.
Today is a good day to examine whether we have fallen prey to pride. Are you sharing what God has entrusted to you with God’s people, or the needy? Are you being the instrument of blessing that God desires for His people to be? What areas of pride have crept into your life? Ask the Lord to show you this today. And avoid being put on the shelf.
Nothing is worse than being cast aside because of our own pride. Ask God to help you to be more concerned with your spiritual fitness than your physical fitness and good health. But, what about our, “I know you made us and you want us to take care of our bodies,” but more important is our spiritual health.
Paul told Timothy to “Train yourself to be godly.” For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and life to come.” (I Timothy 4:7 and 8). Pray for help to also work on “firming up your faith” in addition to firming up your body, so that you will be pleasing to God and to be an example to those around you.
Develop a desire to grow closer and closer to God and to bring others along with you. Ask God to anoint you in the Name of Jesus.
