Are you too proud?

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

- Proverbs 16:18

Society today is so focused on image.

We have damaged our little girls by making them believe that only a certain body type is acceptable.

We have damaged our little boys by setting expectations that they have to excel at a specific sport.

We spend our entire lives striving to be the best, to have the best and to be an example to others in a materialistic way.

When you look in a mirror, what do you see? 

When others look at you, do they see the same thing?

Remember that everything we have is a gift from God.  He gave us our looks, our talents, or specialness, and He wants us to use it for Him.

Never boast or be prideful of things, be humble.  Being conceited is of the world and quite honestly it is ugly.

Things are meaningless and if the only goal in your life is to have “stuff”, then friend, you need to rethink life.

One of my favorite quotes (and I have used it in my “daily bread” before) is “God won’t ask”

God won't ask what kind of car you drove, but He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.

God won't ask the square footage of your house, but He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, but He'll ask how many others you clothed.

God won't ask about your social class, but He'll ask what kind of class you displayed.

God won't ask how many material possessions you had, but He'll ask if they dictated your life.

God won't ask what your highest salary was, but He'll ask if you compromised your principles to obtain it.

God won't ask how much money you spent on yourself, but He'll ask how much you gave back to Him.

God won't ask how much overtime you worked, but He'll ask if your overtime was for yourself or for your family.

God won't ask how many promotions you received, but He'll ask how you promoted others.

God won't ask what your job title was, but He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

God won't ask what you did to help yourself, but He'll ask what you did to help others.

God won't ask how many friends you had, but He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

God won't ask what you did to protect your rights, but He'll ask what you did to protect the rights of others.

God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, but He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.

God won't ask about the color of your skin, but He'll ask about the content of your character.

God won't ask how many times your deeds matched your words, but He'll ask how many times they didn't.

God won't ask if His Son loved you, but He'll ask if you loved His Son.

Put aside your vanity and pride and listen to what God wants from you. 

If you only focus on yourself and continue on the path you are on, well, the fall is going to be quite painful.

Each and every one of us have the vanity trait, whether we admit it or not – it is in our nature.  But when we turn to God, when we allow Him to fill our hearts, He changes us, we want to please Him, listen to Him and worship Him in spirit and in truth.

This, my friends, is not done in vanity, but in His unending love for us, His creation.

Have a blessed day!