Arrogance

Sunday, June 18, 2023

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: Ephesians 6:4 New King James Version

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Memory verse: John 10:27-28...27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Today's reading: NEHEMIAH 10-11 ACTS 4:1-22

Arrogance

A time was when I would look at those big TV ministries and fancy preachers and draw some conclusion from my ‘sleeve feelings’ and make some ‘off-the-cuff’ remark and go about my way feeling somewhat justified because, after all, I am who am because I have worked just as hard as ‘those people’ have—I can say what I want.

Am I right? No, I am not.

We are not entitled to these judgments.

Conditional love has far too long governed what we think. It takes the place of a selfless heart and replaces it with a selfish attitude.

As a pastor, teacher, preacher, or writer I must observe with a selfless heart. Whatever position you occupy in life is going to have a personality or ideal which sets a benchmark. I believe that if benchmarks are set in honor that they are set by honoring God. It took a long time for me to see this, I must admit, and there are many times where I lapse back into my ‘entitled’ gear and envy or judge and then speak with my very large and smelly foot in my mouth.

Being human is not an excuse but we use it as a license--a license to sin and feel quite justified doing so. Being human has come to mean so many things and most of them are exactly that-sinful.

Yes, I know…the older I get the more the human factor makes itself known in the physical ‘areas’. This is all the more reason to seek God—to get as close as we can---to be transformed into the image of His son—so when the physical life gets more difficult the less we feel entitled to complain instead of the opposite.

It all boils down to the same old thing—arrogance that carries the stench of entitlement. We should be able to do such and such because of what we have proven-really?

What we should be able to do is kneel-even if you cannot physically do so-there is a posture of the kneeling heart. It is all in the attitude. The mind of Christ, and we have the mind of Christ, is replete with this attitude. (1 Corinthians 2:16)

Philippians 2:10-that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth.

The dictionary has a hard time giving us an opposite for ‘entitled’ so we will use this: God’s grace in Christ—Grace, for short.

The opposite of entitled is Grace.

The opposite of arrogance is the mind of Christ-and we-you and me-we have the mind of Christ. And I believe we have a responsibility before God to allow Him to fill us with His honor.

…because he loves us…

Father in Heaven,

Fill me with Your honor, oh God, as I seek Your face and Your kingdom and as I learn to walk humbly before You. Forgive me for my choice to sink into bad attitudes.

Merciful and loving Father and God,

In the name of Jesus,

Amen