Pride-The Silent Assassin
Have you ever wondered why you feel stuck in the trials of life that you are in? Have you ever considered that the ‘victim’ mentality may be your own construct? By now, the arrow should be pointing in one direction; towards you. You are the’ victim’ of your own circumstances that you have created, on your own because of ‘Pride’. Think about it.
No man is an island, and we live our lives as if we can be the chief cook and bottlewasher in our deceptive brain projects. And as we struggle, wiggle, and whine about the faults of the world we are sinking daily, hourly, minute by minute, second by second into quicksand. I have never seen or experienced quicksand.
But I remember as a teenager growing up and watching Cowboys and Indians movie (Westerns), when someone fell into quicksand they had to call for help. And the helper’s instructions was always, “Stay still, don’t move! Grab the rope! Look at me!” Well this is a description of your lesson from that test today as you battle your demons. Be reminded, that in the secular world you get the lesson and then the test; in the kingdom world you get the test and then the lesson.
Lesson: 1. You had to cry out for help. No matter where you are or what you circumstances are you have to acknowledge that you need help. 2. You have to follow the directives of the ‘helper’ that is if you want to live and not die. But what is keeping you from crying out for help in real life? What is holding you back from sharing your burdens? Yes…you got it…PRIDE.
‘Pride’ developed by the ego, quoting Shakespeare, ”Is the green-eyed monster, that mocks the meat it eats.” In his book My Ego, My Higher Power, and I, Dr. Jerry Hirschfield states,” If we want all of the limited abundance God has for each of us, we need to remove the limitations our egos are placing on God,” (pg 52). Then it begs the question, What limitations are you placing on God?. The Bible speaks clearly about ‘pride’ and if your ego is holding you back from your release of the pain that you are enduring on the Me-I campaign, you WILL continue to sink in ‘Your quickstand of life.’.
Jeremiah 13: 15-17 warning against pride says,
15 Listen and pay attention!
Do not be arrogant, for the Lord has spoken.
16 Give glory to the Lord your God
before it is too late.
Acknowledge him before he brings darkness upon you,
causing you to stumble and fall on the darkening mountains.
For then, when you look for light,
you will find only terrible darkness and gloom.
17 And if you still refuse to listen,
I will weep alone because of your ‘pride.’
My eyes will overflow with tears,
because the Lord’s flock will be led away into exile.
This is not a new road, but a new reality. ‘Pride’ is the author of ‘Shame, Guilt, Anger, Resentments’; those demons that creates the stress in our lives, as we struggle to make the significant changes that are needed. Cry out for help’! Go on the rooftop! Become vulnerable! This process starts with an open mind ready to start from ground zero…I am willing and teachable.
As we chase after the idols in our lives today God does not mix his words in Luke 12 16-21 he states the following-16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
It is time to give up the pride and remove the stress that we use as an excuse to numb the pain in our lives.
Remember, ‘Nothing changes if nothing changes’ and ‘The same person will always use’. Make a change in your life today…now…as you seek the peace of God in your ‘new life’ and move on the transitional journey from Ego to Higher Self.
Have a Blessed day in the Lord. You deserve it.
From the desk of Andy Ansola