For the week of: Monday, March 26th 2007

"The One to Whom I Will Look, Part 2"

Continuing from last week, the thoughts presented by C.J. Mahaney on the subjects of pride and humility:

Purposeful Application:

Greatest enemy – Pride

Greatest Friend – Humility

Application over the next 1-2 years:

• Study the incommunicable attributes of God.  These are the attributes about which He does not reveal Himself.  For example: He is infinite – He exists everywhere equally present.  He is independent – God does not need me in order for Him to be, but I do need Him for me to be.  (These perusals remind us of our smallness and His greatness and humility becomes our greatest friend.)
• Survey the Wondrous Cross – The question to repeat daily when the enemy, pride, rears its sinful head: “How can anyone be arrogant when he stands beside the cross.”  (I picture myself there, and all of the things about which I think I have reason to be proud of make my head drop to my chest, my knees crumble and I find I am a shriveled heap of remorse.)
• Study the doctrines of grace such as election and justification.  Note that God designed salvation so there would be no self-gratification.
• Study the doctrines of sin.  Recommended reading is The Enemy Within by Chris Lingard.

Daily Application:

• Seize the mundane moments.  Begin the day acknowledging your need and dependence on God. 
• “Sin doesn’t wake up tired,” so be ready to start the day with words of Truth to yourself.
• Gratitude not grumbling.  (Sounds like a good sign for the mirror in my bathroom.)
• Be and alert and thankful observer of answered prayer.
• God leaves “post-it notes” of His Presence during my day.  Am I perceptive of them?
• Seize car time for scripture learning and meditation
• Throughout the day, decidedly cast your cares on Him.  (Acting as though I can handle it all is prideful.)
• At the end of the day, transfer the glory to God.  Isaiah 26:12 – “All that we have accomplished, YOU have accomplished for us.” 
• Sleep is a gift.  I am the creature, not the Creator.  The fact that I am tired is a reminder that I am the created and not the Creator.  I need rest; He does not.

Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways.  Reclothe us in our rightful minds, in purer love thy service find, in deeper reverence pray.  Amen.

Humbly kneeling with you at the foot of the Cross,

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