Dear Ones,
Happy weekend to you! The apartment is filled with so much aroma as I have a roast in the oven and just fixed many oven veggies and whipped lots of real cream (Al’s favorite). We are celebrating Ann’s birthday today at noon and I am hungry already! I also made a flourless birthday cake with choc frosting and hope that it tastes good.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Is it possible to have humble pride? What do I mean by that? I was reading an article from Pastor Mark Roberts from Fuller seminary and he wrote about how to know the difference between pride that puffs us up and leads us away from God and humble pride that delights in our work but acknowledges the grace of God. There is a difference and we can tell it in our souls for if we take all the credit and glory in ourselves, we will find our hearts pulled away from God. But when we do well and find joy in our work and recognize that it draws us closer to God in humility and gratitude, then it is humble pride.
As a parent we want our children to take pride in their work and accomplishments but also that they would know that God gave them the power to do it in the first place. If they learn early that it is God’s grace in their lives and not the pride of believing it is all them, they will grow in their life with the Lord.
All of us do well to acknowledge our dependency on the Lord and have humble gratitude. Sinful pride takes all the credit and puffs us up. Humble pride knows that we do it only by God’s grace and we are blessed.
Roberts gives a great example of a friend of his who has been very successful in his career and built a business worth many millions of dollars. But as he talked with him one day, the man kept pointing to the grace of God in his life and got even chocked up with gratitude of the Lord’s goodness to him. His pride in his work drew him closer to the Lord and that is a symptom of humble pride.
Let us delight in the work God has given each of us but may we also remember all that we do is by His grace and the strength he gives. As it says in Phil 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to help you see your accomplishments in the light of His grace.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy
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