Big Gulps, Huh?

"Hey guys! Big Gulps, huh? ...Well, see ya later!"

Classic line. Classic movie. (If you don't know, it's Dumb and Dumber...get on it!)

But today, I'm not talking about an ice, cold Diet Coke from 7-11. Nope. What I am talking about is PRIDE

Let me just say that, well, I struggle with pride. Gah, I even hate saying that. Case in point.

Whether it's thinking too highly of yourself or thinking too low of yourself, you're still thinking of yourself. That's pride. It's what we sometimes like to confuse as determination and a healthy strong will. It is what drives us to believe we can do it on our own, what  keeps us from accepting help, what causes us to hate to admit when we are wrong.  It feeds our need to control.
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"To fear the Lord is to hate evil. I hate pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech." (Proverbs 8:13) 

"Pride comes before destruction, an arrogant spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18)

"Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Matthew 23:12)

"And He said, 'What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.'" (Mark 7:20-23)

"Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'"  (James 4:6)

God, well, He's not too big of a fan of pride. He hates it. Abhors it. I mean, it's listed on up there with theft, murder, and adultery (I know, I know..."Sin is sin"; but still) On the other hand, though, He is a huge fan of humility.  So that's what He expects of us as His followers...to hate pride and to embrace humility.
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So back to Big Gulps.

Today...today, I gotta take a big gulp...a big swallow of my pride. I've got admit where I've been at fault, that I don't have all the answers, and that I can't do it all on my own. And, once again, let go of that furious need to control. 

I think The Fray had it right when they sang, "Sometimes that hardest thing and the right thing are the same."

Cheers.