.. I deserve better than that???...

it seems that the issue of pride comes up wherever I go these days...
Cell group last night, sharing with fellow Christians about what the Lord is teaching us..
and again this truth...
so many of our sins are rooted in pride:

do I get annoyed easily?   ( is my standard the be all and end all?)
do I have a critical spirit? ( I must think too highly of myself ..)
do I want my way always? ( because I obviously know better.. and why would that be???)
do I feel a sense of entitlement, to be treated better, to be understood more?? ( I deserve better than that..)

this is what the Webster's Dictionary from 1828 says:

Pride: Inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one's own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, accomplishments, rank or elevation in office, which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often in contempt of others. Insolence; rude treatment of others; insolent exultation.

pride is what made Eve fall for the scheme of the serpent... the lure of receiving the same knowledge as God.. now wouldn't that just be grand...

the new passage for the week starting today:

But thanks be to God,  who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma  of the knowledge  of him everywhere.   For we are to God the pleasing aroma  of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.   To the one we are an aroma that brings death;  to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?   Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit.  On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity,  as those sent from God.  ( 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 )

 a bit boastful maybe?????? towards the end... but then it goes on:

Such confidence  we have through Christ before God.   Not that we are competent in ourselves  to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.  ( 2 Corinthians 3: 4 + 5 )

because... this is true about all of us:

At one time  we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.   But when the kindness  and love of God our Savior  appeared,   he saved us,  not because of righteous things we had done,  but because of his mercy.  He saved us through the washing  of rebirth and renewal  by the Holy Spirit,  whom he poured out on us  generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,   so that, having been justified by his grace,  we might become heirs  having the hope  of eternal life. ( Titus 3: 3-7 ) ( shared with me today by a great guy :)

so, that no one can boast.... it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works..  for we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

my confidence is in Him alone... I am in awe that He would choose me, to be His beloved child and to spread His aroma to those that don't know Him.. #SoliDeoGloria