20th September Musings..

SEPTEMBER 20 THE DANGER OF PRIDE Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. —PROVERBS 16:18 AMPC Pride causes people to boast, to be high-minded, to think more highly of themselves than they should, or to take more credit than they are due. It is characterized by an excessive degree of self-esteem and an unreasonable sense of superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, accomplishments, social position, or professional status. When people operate in pride and think proudly, they put on lofty airs. Proud people are often contemptuous of others, and insolent or rude in the way they treat others. The pride of our hearts deceives us (Obadiah 3). It distorts our perceptions, and we don’t see things as they truly are. We don’t see other people’s value, nor do we see our own flaws. God wants us to have a humble heart, which is the opposite of a proud heart. People who are humble do not think too highly of themselves, but they lean on God and know they are nothing without Him. They are courteous, have a modest evaluation of their own worth, and are conscious of their defects. They think highly of other people and have good manners. God tells us in His Word that if we humble ourselves under His mighty hand, He will exalt us in due time (1 Peter 5:6). If we refuse to humble ourselves, God will have to do it for us. He lifts us up as long as we remain humble, but He can also quickly bring us down if we become filled with pride. “Father, I ask that You continue to work with me to keep me humble. I repent for pride and I recognize that I am nothing without You. Help me to always treat others well and never to think I am better than anyone else. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

September 20th LIFE ISN’T A DANCE “The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing, because an artful life requires being prepared to meet and withstand sudden and unexpected attacks.” —MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 7.61 Dancing is a popular metaphor for life. One must be limber and agile and go along with the music. One must feel and follow and flow with their partner. But anyone who has tried to do something difficult, where there is competition or an adversary, knows that the dancing metaphor is insufficient. Nobody ever gets up on stage and tries to tackle a dancer. The dancer never gets choked out by a rival. For a wrestler, on the other hand, adversity and the unexpected are part and parcel of what they do. Their sport is a battle, just like life. They are fighting an opponent as well as their own limitations, emotions, and training. Life, like wrestling, requires more than graceful movement. We have to undergo hard training and cultivate an indomitable will to prevail. Philosophy is the steel against which we sharpen that will and strengthen that resolve.