An Insidious Tempter

   The old and ugly sin of pride comes up today. Not that Chambers actually talks about it, but that his reference to presenters of the Gospel, leads me to think about it. Maybe God seems to bring it up so much in my study and reading, because it is so prevalent in my own life.

   Anyway, Chambers says: "When we say, "What a wonderful personality, what a fascinating person, and what wonderful insight!", then what opportunity does the gospel of God have through all of that? It cannot get through, because the attraction is to the messenger and not the message. If a person attracts through his personality, that becomes his appeal. If, however, he is identified with the Lord Himself, then the appeal becomes what Jesus Christ can do. The danger is to glory in men, yet Jesus says we are to lift up only Him."

   What strikes me is the opportunity for pride to swell a person's head when he is praised for a good job, so that the glory goes to man and not to God, where it belongs. 

   I have been in those places of visible leadership in the church, and I have lived out the whole pride thing, and I don't want to do it again. Much better for me to serve in a place of obscurity than to hurt the cause of Christ.

   How about this "original" paraphrase of Psalm 84:10? I would rather be one who opens the door of the church for others to go in, than dwell in the place of pride because of more "important" jobs.

   Of course even the doorkeeper in the House of the Lord can be proud to be humble.

   Good grief, pride is an insidious tempter. For me, anyway....