Pride vs. Humility

I truly believe that the Holy Spirit is calling each one to us to examine the way in which we conduct ourselves as Christians.  What is my attitude toward God?  What is my attitude toward my family?  What is my attitude toward my fellow man?  What is my attitude toward the family of God?  Each of us are being called to examine our heart of service toward Christ as well as toward the people that God places in our lives on a daily basis. 

It can be a short step from humility to pride.  It is easier to make that transition than we realize.  The Apostle Paul shared this warning in Philippians 2:3a, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit..."  We are warned of the perils of walking in the deceit of our own selfish ambition.  We live in a "me" world.  If you don't believe that, just ask me.  But God is calling us to a higher calling; He is calling us to look for opportunities to serve others.  And I truly believe that He will present each one of us those opportunities if we will take the time to notice and respond.  Pride places a lower priority on others and a higher priority on our individual needs.  Pride ranks the issues of others much lower in value to its own needs and wants.  What would be the condition of our lives if Christ had placed a higher value on His life than He did the lives of humanity?  Let us remember that He gave His life a living sacrifice for others and He gave us the example of placing the needs of others a greater priority than His own personal needs.  The heart of humility gives us the ability to value others as Christ values them.  It is through the heart of humility that we can offer service to those around us and not expect anything in return other than the smile of God as He looks upon one of His children serving another one of His children. 

Would you join me today in asking God to remove the cold heart of pride and replace it with the heart of true humility which will cause us to offer our sincere service to others?