Good Medicine for Pride
The Life You’ve Always Wanted by John Ortberg
(My Thoughts)
Chapter 7
“Pride destroys our capacity to love…Pride moves us to exclude instead of to embrace. Pride moves us to bow down before a mirror rather than before God. Pride moves us to judge rather than serve.” page 110
Pride in Eve got us into this mess we are all in. She wanted to be more like God than she already was, for she was made in the image and likeness of God when she was created. Pride messed her up and messed it up for us all.
Pride in my life is still at the root of all my problems. It moves me to be isolated from others, judgmental of others, and extremely preoccupied with self.
So I must search for pride in my life, pursue it, and destroy it. I must discover its various manifestations in my soul and hunt it down.
One way I want to begin pummeling pride in me is by serving others and doing it in secret.
“The flesh whines against service but screams against hidden service. It strains and pulls for honor and recognition.” page 112
I have learned to serve others and although it bothers my flesh, it finds some satisfaction in it if it at least gets praised or credit for it (in the eyes of others).
“Pride destroys our capacity to love…Pride moves us to exclude instead of to embrace. Pride moves us to bow down before a mirror rather than before God. Pride moves us to judge rather than serve.” page 110
Pride in Eve got us into this mess we are all in. She wanted to be more like God than she already was, for she was made in the image and likeness of God when she was created. Pride messed her up and messed it up for us all.
Pride in my life is still at the root of all my problems. It moves me to be isolated from others, judgmental of others, and extremely preoccupied with self.
So I must search for pride in my life, pursue it, and destroy it. I must discover its various manifestations in my soul and hunt it down.
One way I want to begin pummeling pride in me is by serving others and doing it in secret.
“The flesh whines against service but screams against hidden service. It strains and pulls for honor and recognition.” page 112
I have learned to serve others and although it bothers my flesh, it finds some satisfaction in it if it at least gets praised or credit for it (in the eyes of others).
Therefore, hidden service is the best way to go. It benefits others (so I grow in LOVE) while starving my flesh and pride from the praise and recognition it so craves (so I grow in HUMILITY).
“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
Matthew 6:1-4 NKJV
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