Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the Cross I Cling

Ponder this: "If he could see how small a vacancy his death would leave, the proud man would think less of the places he occupies." - Ernest LeGouve

Pride is contradictory to humility. Pride is at the root of all sins and is an enemy of a Christian. Proud people seldom realize that pride is an obstacle in their life, although everybody around them realizes it. God despises the pride. That's why, when it pops up in our lives, God allows and brings things into our lives to humble us, and make us more dependent upon Him.

Just as pride was the downfall of Adam and Eve, it is also our downfall. C.S. Lewis in The Question of God says, "It was through pride that the devil became the devil; it is the complete anti-God state of mind. Pride is essentially competitive in a way other vices are not. Pride is a spiritual cancer." Pride is embedded in our human nature; we trust in our own power to make it through life. Yet all we are and have comes from God. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. None of us have reason to be proud. Augustus Toplady wrote "Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the Cross I cling."

So the question begs to be asked, how can we overcome pride and replace it with humility? By putting ourselves into proper perspective, seeing ourselves as Gods sees us in relationship to Him. When we look to God, we grasp our unworthiness. Yet humility does not come from putting ourselves down. It comes from acknowledging and glorifying God, seeing Him as the source of all we are and and all we have. In His love, God accepts us unconditionally and lifts us to higher ground. He shows us that we are His children, made in His image, adopted into His family as sons and daughters of the King!

Another way to overcome pride is by expressing gratitude. Whenever we accomplish anything in life, we can choose to be proud or grateful. As we realize that we accomplish nothing without God, we must choose gratitude, giving glory to Him for all He does for us.

We can't have prideful hearts and maintain a right relationship with God. God does not need our accomplishments, nor is He interested in our vain glory. He wants us! Christ wants us to cultivate humble hearts that bow before His grace and His cross - the ultimate example of humility.