The biggest stumbling block

I'm probably currently facing what I would describe as "New Year syndrome", where because it is the turn of the new year, levels of enthusiasm is beyond at any other point of the year. So that goes for blogging as well, because I cant't foresee myself continuing to keep up the blogging pace for a longer stint other than perhaps the first week. I wouldn't really call this a continuation of the last post, but i guess somehow they are going to relate at some point.

Talking about following God fully, we don't really have a problem declaring it out loud actually. But more often than not, and we know it! our words tend to always go before our actions. That's how we end up with promises we cannot keep, obligations we fail to fulfill. Those aren't exactly desirable things, but well honestly there isn't a big deal with it. The big deal usually comes when we don't admit it, when we are forced to answer about it. Here's a fact : NO ONE likes to be corrected. Even I don't like being corrected but sometimes as lousy as it will make us feel, as low as it would take us to. It is good for our soul, keep us in-check from being arrogant and cocky. What is this that makes us into being arrogant and all that? Pride.

Yes. Pride. I have taken a great amount of time to dealing with this Pride. Lets just say I take Pride in dealing with my pride :p I believe that everyone can overcome it, if we understood how to work around this. We Men especially have a problem with this, and trust me most aren't going to admit it. The common phrase that goes with it (although never said out loud) "lose face la"....It's actually a form of embarrassment. Basically taking it apart, we're not actually prideful, we just don't like to be embarrassed, no? Back on the matter of correction, if we looked at being corrected as another opportunity to learn as to another opportunity to being ridiculed than i guess we would have less of a pride issue. Once again, it's easier said than done but come on there's a price to pay for everything and this is the price of getting rid of pride.

Sometimes, we hold on so dearly to our own opinions, our views, our feelings, our agenda and so on. Frankly, because if everyone thought the same way, this is all we're going to be living with. A selfish culture. So much so that sometimes, even God cannot intervene in our situation because of it. Of course, God has His ways of making things to work, but I mean pause for a moment and think of the magnitude of it. That sounds like a pretty big issue to me. And it usually is. Cause it gets embedded in our character, reflects in our personality and then it affects the way we deal with others. And then we wonder why there is so much tension, because the other person probably thinks the same way. There's no wrong in putting your point across. But as much as anyone would hate to admit it, you will never be 100% right all the time.

In the last post, I talked about Pastor declaring this year is about following God fully. So you tell me, how are we to follow God fully, whole heartedly if this pride issue is making us trying to play the role God in our own life? The rule of thumb is if there is a leader, then there will be a follower. Leadership is good, but good leaders are also good followers. (Well, thats another separate matter to discuss). So if you want to be the leader in your life, you expect God almighty to be your follower? Some people say, that destiny is in our own hands, so we must take the lead and control. That's not entirely correct. Yes, we are the driver of our own destiny, but God is the navigator to lead us to the right destination. We can of course leave God out of the picture, but we may end up somewhere where we weren't destined to be. 

If that's not a reason good enough for you. 

James 4:5-7 says

⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
⁶ But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:

    “ God resists the proud,
      But gives grace to the humble.”

   
⁷ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Pride is the prefect platform the devil needs to twist your arm. Don't ever put yourself in that position to be compromised. It's not worth it. No one likes a prideful man. I do not know for sure if God likes a prideful man, but I know He still loves a prideful man.