How much we think of ourselves, how much we have pride. I do. We do need to put that pride aside. The proudness of thinking about ourselves, that’s the cross we bear for conviction of having too much self-preservation of self-pride. Pick up the crucifying, walk in His abiding. 

I have been thinking of Lent. I did plan to go to church, but had not yet put on that attitude of giving up anything. The Lenten focus of what God gave up, in His Son ransomed for the rest of us, how we are to remember this was on Jesus’s mind every day in time. Sacrifice.

Job (ch 23) was tested, prayed to follow deeper and treasure more. He had a speech as if it was an aside between Him and God: “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside. I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.”

I also need to treasure more. I thought what about the “giving up” of tangible  things in lent, it seemed silly for me to do one of the traditional food things, but maybe…  I was not focused on anything for lent, I know I need focus. What if it was giving up cookies or sugar, yet that would be for health reasons and pride of weightloss, that’s earthly pride of how I look, whereas I should focus on healthy walking. Exercise what I have. Maybe I should give up cookies, so I had a couple cookies to think about it, cookies, and LOTS of cookies at church itself. Nah… not cookies, sugar would seep in otherways. Well, maybe I should give up cookies. 

So, what if there was one of those VERY DEEP LENTEN MESSAGES for me to tap into, etc… Then I thought EASILY of one thing that would be HARD, this Lent how about I make it time to GIVE UP MY PRIDE, my fear of being awkward, give up ourselfish self-consciousness for promoting HIS plan. This is not a noble cause but a humble pause.

I thought, holding a spiritual sticker that said Christ’s name in its scripture,  was I willing to at least stick that on my water bottle? Prayer stickers yes, but WHAT IF I GAVE UP BEING SCARED TO DISPLAY THE NAME OF JESUS PUBLICLY. What if I tried saying His name more, using it out loud in conversation, and just swallowing my prideful tendency to hide. 

What if we became less fearful of offending and be more abiding in sharing HOPE.

Who gives us the HOPE? Jesus.  If Jesus was walking, He would want to introduce Himself to others. We should be willing to do that too. 

I’m not saying this is going to be easy, but I know that the Holy Spirit is here to help. Jesus’s command always was and is for us to WAIT FOR and ACCEPT the Holy Spirit gift of the Father to be the wind in our sails.

If we drop our pride, we can be in for the best Spirit Ride. Not going to be easy, but worth it. Follow Job’s prayerful aside: treasure His Words more than our daily bread… (or cookies).  

Amen