Who?

In my younger days, I felt completely independent and thought I knew what was best in my life. And, so what if I was wrong about some decision? After all it was my life to make or mess up. But, then I got married and soon we had a new son. Because of these loved ones in my life, I began to realize that my personal decisions extended to the help or hurt of others who were important to me. Of course, I was only just beginning to recognize a truth that had always been true. My decisions always impacted others, I just lacked enough love to perceive how much I could hurt my siblings, parents, and friends.

I reached out day after day
to a people who turned their backs on me,
People who make wrong turns,
who insist on doing things their own way.
(Isaiah 65:2)

There are some who are embarrassed about some of their past actions. So now, pride tends to hold them back from fellowship. Some have chosen to become "too busy" to be involved in spiritual growth activities. A person like this may be sacrificing his family on the altar of his pride. Except for the grace of God, pride will have its own way. May God have mercy on him and help him to have the love to see the truth that we are all sinners and have all done things that we are now ashamed of.

Other men are constantly tempted to make the "things that are seen" into important goals, projects and priorities. We want bigger buildings, nicer cars, prettier women, higher pay and better seats in the arena. And, please don't bother us with words about knowing God or spreading God's Kingdom. We're too busy and too proud. Solomon carried these kind of goals to the extreme and found only -- "smoke".

King Solomon had incredible wisdom and was able to organize huge projects, judge difficult cases and compose proverbs to guide others. He is even the writer of a few books in the Bible. Yet, his incredible personal wisdom was not sufficient to sustain him for his whole life. He failed to continue to seek to know God's ways, God's priorities and God's love. As a result, Solomon experienced the frustration expressed in Ecclesiastes. Which of us is wiser than Solomon and, therefore, no longer need to seek God? The "wisdom" of man doing things his own way has destroyed so many families, nations, and churches.

Look at that man, bloated by self-importance— full of himself but soul-empty.
But the person in right standing before God through loyal and steady believing is fully alive, really alive. (Habakkuk 2:4)

Let's move closer to God and start giving a little more time, maybe 5 or 10 minutes, every day reading His Word, seeking His priorities and knowing His love. Incredibly, the Creator, the King of Kings is reaching out to us. The great I AM is inviting each of us into a deeper relationship with Him while Pride calls us to trust ourselves. Who are we listening to?