I've had my battles with Pride. And even though Friday's post focused on how parenthood has humbled me - and oh, how it has! - I still have my battles.
I had an email conversation with a friend on Saturday morning regarding my "Humbled" post. She told a story about a very recent humbling experience of hers. As I read and replied, I realized that I'm still fighting my Pride.
In the PreK-K Sunday School class I teach, or the Adult ELL ministry I direct, or even keeping my cool when I've explicitly prayed for help with it, I sometimes get so caught up in the details, the planning, the doing, that I forget what it's all about: WHO it's all about. When a lesson goes well, or someone really "gets" it, or a relationship grows, I sometimes forget... it's a God thing. Every idea, skill, gift, comes from God. But I can get so lost in the details that I forget to give the glory to God.
This is exactly what I was thinking about, and praying about, on Saturday morning.
Then, not 15 minutes later - and why am I always so surprised??? - my Bible reading plan took me straight to Daniel 4 and the story of King Nebuchadnezzar.
Here it is, in a nutshell:
Nebuchadnezzar dreams about this huge, beautiful, shady tree. In the dream, a voice from heaven demands, "Cut it down!"
Daniel comes in to tell what it all means. "You're the tree! You've got to get yourself under control, or God is going to help you figure things out the hard way."
Not long after, Nebuchadnezzar looks over his whole kingdom and basically says, "I'm awesome! Look at all this! It's MINE, and I made it this great."
Immediately comes the voice from heaven, and it happens. Nebuchadnezzar loses his mind and ends up in the fields for "seven periods of time", eating grass like an animal.
He finally gets it:
34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever....
36 At the same time that my sanity was restored... I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
I don't want to be like Nebuchadnezzar.
I need to raise my own eyes toward heaven and give God all the glory, all the time.
It's Day 15, and I'm praying for humility, again.
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