Wednesday, May 29, 2013

stripped of my pride


Hey friends! I don't know about y'all, but this little lady has been going through one heck of a lot lately. Not to sound all "pity me" like, but life has just been plain stressful. I have had to wait on God's timing for major life choices, such as where I am living next year, and what I will be doing. Talk about CHAOTIC. As stressful as it has been, I have felt the Lord's guidance through the entire period. Despite the hundreds of times that I have doubted God to rescue me in my times of trouble, He has remained faithful. I am so undeserving of His grace, yet He loves me the same. I am so thankful to have this blog as an outlet, to look back on all the times with my experiences with God and how He has carried me through it.

These past few months of have been a period where God completely stripped me of my pride. Every last bit of it. There was no longer any room for me to say "God I got this whole life thing down I'll holler at yah when I need ya!" He has revealed to me my complete and utter need to depend on Him and on Him alone. He has revealed to me how completely selfish I am. He has revealed to me how negative my thoughts can easily become. He has revealed to me that without Him, I can literally do nothing. Yet, He hasn't given up on me. He has continued to renew me every day, despite the many areas of my life that need complete renewal.

In exchange of my pride for humility, God has given me so much more joy. I find so much more joy in my life knowing that it is in His hands and He is in control of who comes in and out of it and what happens to me. I find so much more peace in living for Him than I did in living for myself.

....Yet, I still often desire to go back to my prideful ways, there is still a part of me that wants to handle it all on my own, without God.



"Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

As soon as God answers a specific prayer in my life, it is crazy to see how easily it is for me to instantly go back into my prideful way of thinking. Yes I think it is important to be continuously joyful about what God blesses us with, but thankfulness and pridefulness are two completely different things, as I am learning so much about lately from God. For me to think, that "yes Jessica, you DESERVE this." No I don't deserve any of it, but God chooses to bless me despite if I deserve anything or not. He is my provider. He is my comforter. I am weak, but He is strong. Do you guys struggle with similar things such as this? Has pride ever been an issue in your walks with Christ? I'd love to hear! :). I think as Christians, its something we must always watch out for {to not become prideful}.

So friends, keep boasting in Christ, because the second you boast of anything but Him, your prideful ways have a way of creeping right back into your life.

I love you all! I hope you have a beautiful day. Thank you for all of the encouragement that you provide me with, friends! xo


7 comments:

  1. Love this post girl. I let my pride get in the way all the time, and I definitely need a reminder to be humble, thankful and watchful of God! I'm graduating in December and worry constantly about finding a job. Doesn't help that I'm kind of a planner type haha. Just gotta keep trusting God and praying for His plan :)

    xo,
    kristyn

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  2. I struggle with being a proud person and lately God has been putting me in situations where I have to be humble. It's often a struggle!

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  3. This is a reminder I need daily! And I'm totally with you on thinking I 'deserve it.' Pride has always been a struggle. When I'm in a tough situation I find it easy to acknowledge that I need God but when things all seem to be going fine I slip back into that whole 'I've got it under control God, we can talk next time I need your help' mentality. I'm so thankful for His grace in those times! Awesome post friend, I love your heart and your honesty!
    Xoxo

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  4. I've been going thru things myself and I am happy to see when God has answered my prayers. It may not be how I want them answered but its for the best. God knows what's best for us. He's never late and he's always on time.

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  5. He is enough for us! Isn't that amazing?

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  6. Love this, love how real and genuine you are!! I feel like God has been taking me through a season of revealing me small areas of great pride. Ahhhh it's so disgusting to realize how prideful I can be. Dang it!! haha. But i'm loving being able to give those areas up to him. I recently read a devotional that said "the great enemy of humility is the belief that you're not getting as much credit as you deserve....God's most liberated servants are those who know they have nothing to prove" Thanks for sharing sweet girl!

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  7. Thank you so much for this reminder today. I really needed it. I've been so so prideful lately and God convicted my heart big time, making me realize that I've been trying too long to do everything without Him, basically ignoring Him and His will for my life. So wrong and prideful of me to let it get that way, but I'm beyond grateful He renews me, forgives me, and loves me continually. He is good! Thank you for sharing your lovely heart, girl!

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