MEET ANDREW
AAIV UW
Humility is the catalyst in which we become discipled as followers of Christ.
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Pride is a spiritual cancer that prevents us from recognizing God amidst our lives. Author and theologian, C.S. Lewis even goes to the extreme of saying “As long as you are proud, you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people, and of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” Pride and humility are dichotomous and can’t be present at the same time. The battle between the two is a silent one that rages within one’s own mind. While humility acknowledges and lives out who we are and who God is, pride sings of its own righteousness and glory over others. Pride claims achievements as purely its own and fails to see the grace God has poured out.
With this all being said, I struggle with pride. It is said that God humbles the proud and exalts the humble. In my own experience, the humbling part has happened way more often. At Mark Camp, with the people, scriptures, and conversations, in His providence, God humbled me, breaking apart my hard heart. I couldn’t help but resonate with the Pharisees and their hard hearts and how they heard and saw, but couldn’t perceive. Long story short, God softened my heart during Mark Camp and compelled me to want to lead a small group next year, something I never expected.
But what do I know about pride? My battle isn’t quite over, it’s a daily one. I aim to submit daily, recognize the grace I have been apportioned and carry my cross daily, not perfectly, but with faith that Jesus grants me humility.