VERSE:
Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin!
— Proverbs 21:4
THOUGHT:
Being a Christian comes with the great benefit of receiving everything Christ deserved; however, in modern America life is about the pursuit of looking out for number one. It’s all about our goals, our desires, our achievements, and our earnings. We get so consumed with ourselves that we forget that it’s all about Christ. We think more highly of ourselves than we ought to, and have a sense of entitlement that compels us to fight for what we want. We believe that we deserve only the best, and throw a fit if we don’t get it. We shake our fists at heaven and cry out “why God” when life doesn’t seem to go our way; all the while forgetting that this life is NOT about us. God calls conceit and pride sin. When we think that we deserve any better than what we have, it is sin in God’s eyes. If grace is unmerited favor, then it is impossible to show grace to someone who thinks that they deserve better.
APPLICATION:
Don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought to (Romans 12:3). Flee from pride and conceit. Don’t let your flesh convince you that you deserve anything better than what you have. When you realize what you deserve compared to what you have, praise the Lord for His abundant grace in your life. However, don’t fall into the opposite extreme of not receiving what is rightfully yours because of Christ.
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, help me to see what grace is. Help me understand more clearly that I deserve nothing good in myself, and receive every good thing because of Christ. I declare this day to flee from pride and conceit, and ask for your help. In Jesus’ Name I pray, AMEN!
Humbleness is next to Godliness.