How do you keep your pride.....

[Gregg]

How do you keep your pride out of your walk? God gives us gifts and wisdom to share. How do you differentiate between your will and God's will. How do you know when to stand firm and argue a point (many of us can justify or back it up with scripture). Yes we give glory to God, but aren't we a little bit glad that he chooses us as the vehicle.

In our Tuesday night Christ based 12 step group, the lines between who is the more blessed, the one who needs help or the one who gives it, is becoming increasingly blurred. At some point testimony, experience, as well as our gifts cannot be denied (of course they are God given). How do you find joy in being used, and not take some of the credit. I would think some of these things please God, so shouldn't we feel somewhat good about a job well done? Then does that not open us up to pride or even false humility?

[Firefighter]

If you become a servant, it surely helps. If deeds are done in the spirit of servitude, pride has little room to grow.

[tt1106]

Gregg, Luckily, my viewpoint starts with scripture. I consider it a blessing that I stumbled across, thologians like John Piper, RC Sproul and others. Arguing about scripture doesn't concern me. I don't need to be right. I doubt if I ever will be. Fortunately, reading these authors has really changed my perspective, especially on the magnificence of Christ and the Sovereignty of God. Because I must decrease and he must increase, God has humbled me. He has shown me the blessings that I do have but also the work that needs to be done.
Pride will always be the major player in humanity. The more I learn about him from scripture the less important I am.

UM has a good point also, How did Christ demonstrate humility? Service. I have never had a more enriching experience than going into a prison, sitting down with a group of guys, who have no relationship with Christ and watching a life change.
Seeing God do this, makes me think of how truly insignificant I am.

[Slug1]

For me it's a few words...

Humbleness
Obedience
Vessel

[tango]

How do you keep your pride out of your walk? God gives us gifts and wisdom to share. How do you differentiate between your will and God's will. How do you know when to stand firm and argue a point (many of us can justify or back it up with scripture). Yes we give glory to God, but aren't we a little bit glad that he chooses us as the vehicle.

In our Tuesday night Christ based 12 step group, the lines between who is the more blessed, the one who needs help or the one who gives it, is becoming increasingly blurred. At some point testimony, experience, as well as our gifts cannot be denied (of course they are God given). How do you find joy in being used, and not take some of the credit. I would think some of these things please God, so shouldn't we feel somewhat good about a job well done? Then does that not open us up to pride or even false humility?

This is a very good question, it's remarkable easy to become prideful in humility... "I'm so much more humble than you are". When the gifts of the Spirit are present, especially the more dramatic ones (I'm talking about things like prophetic words, healing etc rather than tongues) it becomes all the more important to maintain love and humility.

It can be very joyful to be used by God, especially when confirmation comes very quickly. That said although I think we can be glad when we are used as the vessel we've got so much more to be glad about. It reminds me of a couple of verses in Luke, where 10:19 says that we have authority over all the powers of the enemy, and 10:20 says we should rejoice because our names are written in heaven.

When we can rejoice because our names are written in heaven and seek to glorify God above all else, whether God delivers a word, a healing, a miracle, through us or someone else becomes secondary to the fact that God has done that at all.

[Stormfreak1]

From my understanding, deep humility is always associated with knowing my identity in Christ.

We all know that pride is not good. We know that collectively, by serving each other, we can accomplish more. It's easy to walk in humility (honoring God and preferring others above self) in our Christian walk when it isn't a key issue that forms our understanding of identity in Jesus.

When someone touches something related to my identity...thats a whole different story. (Natural reaction: I'm going to defend my being...)

[Slug1]

A prime example of humilty is listening to Christians say that God doesn't manifest the gifts anymore. They toss a ton of scripture at you and all you do is testify, turn and go continue to be used by God as a vessel while those other Christians continue to toss their ton of scripture around.

While they toss, others are being used by God to heal, prophesy, give words of knowledge, help peoples find faith or help other Christians be secure in their faith with God etc. Some know God, others just know about God.

[theBelovedDisciple]

How do you keep your pride out of your walk? God gives us gifts and wisdom to share. How do you differentiate between your will and God's will. How do you know when to stand firm and argue a point (many of us can justify or back it up with scripture). Yes we give glory to God, but aren't we a little bit glad that he chooses us as the vehicle.

In our Tuesday night Christ based 12 step group, the lines between who is the more blessed, the one who needs help or the one who gives it, is becoming increasingly blurred. At some point testimony, experience, as well as our gifts cannot be denied (of course they are God given). How do you find joy in being used, and not take some of the credit. I would think some of these things please God, so shouldn't we feel somewhat good about a job well done? Then does that not open us up to pride or even false humility?

By keeping the Cross and the One who Gave it all on It.. in front of me at all times.... not literally .. but meditating on His Word.. wanting and desiring to 'know' Christ and Him Crucified.. and I know today that everything that I have in this 'life' at this moment flows thru that bloody Tree and the One Who gave it all on there..

this life is just but for a moment.. but the Greatest Joy is 'knowing' that I have Eternal Life.. no matter how hard the devil tells me I don't, I've lost it, never had it to begin with.. or your not working hard enought to 'keep' it... he is a liar and the father of it..

I've also been given a 'spiritual thorn'.. a thorn in my flesh... to buffet me.. I've prayed so many times to have that taken away.. but He tells me that His Grace is sufficient... this is not a physical ailment.. but a spiritual thorn.. a messenger of satan... one of his evil spirits used as they speak thru the wicked as I'm out in public on a daily basis..

Verily, I tell you today..

He Has opened my eyes and my Ears.. to the Supernatural...

[Kingsdaughter]

How do you keep your pride out of your walk? God gives us gifts and wisdom to share. How do you differentiate between your will and God's will. How do you know when to stand firm and argue a point (many of us can justify or back it up with scripture). Yes we give glory to God, but aren't we a little bit glad that he chooses us as the vehicle.

In our Tuesday night Christ based 12 step group, the lines between who is the more blessed, the one who needs help or the one who gives it, is becoming increasingly blurred. At some point testimony, experience, as well as our gifts cannot be denied (of course they are God given). How do you find joy in being used, and not take some of the credit. I would think some of these things please God, so shouldn't we feel somewhat good about a job well done? Then does that not open us up to pride or even false humility?

I think the joy comes in fellowship with the Lord, having a relationship with Him that is strong. If the Lord uses me to witness to others or to heal or bless others, then the joy I experience is watching God work, it is His power and not mine, if for any reason I think its mine, He will be sure to remind me that it isn't

Two years ago the Lord used me to heal my sister and witness to my brother who got saved, at the same time I was fighting a demon at home and wondering why God was not changing my circumstances at home, I think He did it so that I would continue to rely on Him for everything, that trial kept me humble before the Lord.

Watching others be healed, rejoicing with them, watching them be saved, I have joy in that, and not that I was the vessel in which the Lord has worked in that person life.

[crossnote]

Getting rid of pride? With me it usually takes a few times out in the Divine Whack Shack.

Oh, I'm so proud He is humbling ME.

[Firefighter]

I think if I had to provide scriptures They would be Roman 1:16 and Luke 6:46.

Luke 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

This one helps me stay humble by helping to realize how very far I have to go.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

This one has probably changed me more than any single scripture. The GOSPEL is the power of God unto salvation. It is not my sermons, my altar calls, my (public) prayers, my visitations, or my level of servitude. It is the GOSPEL. When we truly allow that to wrap around our heads, we can begin to understand that it is all about Him and nothing about us.

[Gregg]

Amen.

Thank you all for your responses.

God bless you and yours.

[ivorylamp]

There is great pleasure in serving than to be served. I wanna serve my Lord all my life. That was and is my motto of life all my days. It brings such pleasure in my soul knowing the Lord works thru me for His glory.

[fuzzi]

Beloved Disciple, you've got it absolutely right.

We need to be focused on the Lord, and not what He is doing through us.

Without Him, I could not do what I do to serve Him, it would be nothing but a bunch of filthy rags. I have no righteousness aside from the righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ.

To quote John the Baptist: "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)

Let it be less of me and more of Him in my life. Amen.