"My name is Pride. I am a Cheater.

I cheat you of your God-given destiny. . . because you demand your own way.

I cheat you of your contentment . . . because you "deserve better than this."

I cheat you of knowledge . . . because you already know it all.

I cheat you of healing . . . because you're too full of me to forgive.

I cheat you of holiness . . . because you refuse to admit when you're wrong.

I cheat you of vision . . . because you'd rather look in the mirror than out a window.

I cheat you of genuine friendship . . . because nobody's going to know the real you.

I cheat you of love . . . because real romance demands sacrifice.

I cheat you of greatness in heaven . . . because you refuse to wash another's feet on earth.

I cheat you of God's glory . . . because I convince you to seek your own way. 

My name is Pride. I am a cheater. You like me because you think I'm always looking out for you. Untrue.

I'm looking to make a fool of you.

God has so much for you, I admit, but don't worry . . .

If you stick with me,

You'll never know."

 

(From Praying God's Word by Beth Moore)

 

........

 

One of my high school teachers just came back from the CAR on a mission trip. I was reading her synopsis of her trip, and wanted to point out something that really stuck out in my mind that she learned while she was there. She was saying how in her life, she had really only seen or recognized God in the things that he had blessed her with in her life. She had only acknowledged God through what it was that he had done in her life. What she really found was that she wasn't seeking God to know who he really was. Many Christians say that "it's not a religion, its a relationship," and yet we seek a relationship only for the benefits it has in our lives; only when we need something. But what we really should be doing is seeking God for his true character, and all the rest will follow. (If I've misquoted any of this, I do apologize! You know who you are). But I'd just really like to thank her for this insight, I know that seeing this perspective has done a lot for me; and was anxious to share it with you.