"The vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. ...In God you come up against something which is in every respect immeasurably superior to yourself. Unless you know God as that -- and, therefore, know yourself as nothing in comparison -- you do not know God at all. ...A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you." (Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis)
I struggle with pride. It seems a paradox to me that the very talents that God gives us could tempt us to becoming overly proud. The cure for pride is humility. By that, I don't mean superficially redirecting compliments. True humility can only exist when we believe that we're not good enough. Believe me...as a stereotypically, 'pragmatic' man who wants to fix every problem, it's a hard pill to swallow.
I read a story told by L.B. Cowman today. She tells of helping a moth escape its coccoon by cutting the narrow opening. What she failed to realize was that the pressure exerted on a moth's wings when escaping from the narrow opening pushes blood to the wings, thereby helping the wings develop. "I thought I was wiser and more compassionate than its Maker, so I resolved to give it a helping hand. ("Streams in the Desert")
This trip is a stark reminder that God doesn't need me. I have no special talents for this trip. Any evidence of my construction skills can be seen in the crooked treehouse at our old house. I don't speak the language and have no special talents to connect with kids. On this trip, I go because He called. I follow where He and the team lead me. There can be no doubt that credit for any good that comes of this trip go to Him.
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