Pride and Selfishness and Tomorrow

Pride and Selfishness:
This week I’m going to mix things up a bit. I’ve listed seven discussion questions below in the Discussion segment. I’ve then followed the questions with some of my answers as commentary. Let my comments get you started, then please follow with yours. I’m waiting (trying not to be impatient or anxious) to hear what is in your heart regarding these two chapters. They were tough!
And tomorrow: Check the blog again tomorrow! I know some of you sign on only on Thursdays, but I have something important to tell you and ask you and it’s too long for today’s post.

Discussion for Chapters 11 & 12:
1. To what kind of people did Jesus tell the parable of the self-righteous Pharisee? Why is this significant to us? (See Luke 18: 9.)

2. What convicted you in Chapter Eleven on Pride?

3. What is the root of our selfishness? (See Genesis 3: 1-6; Jeremiah 17: 9; Hosea 6: 7 and Ephesians 2: 3.)

4. Your conversations can reveal clues regarding pride and selfishness. As you converse with others, do you truly listen and empathize, or do you tend to shift the conversation to your own stories and interests? Remind yourself of an example or two, followed by your thoughts on how God probably wanted you to behave.

5. What do your calendar and checkbook reveal about selfishness in your life?

6. The title of the book is: Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins we Tolerate. I know you are confronting sins never thought of before. How are you dealing with them? What Scriptures and others measures are you taking to reduce their power?

7. Do you fully believe at the end of this study your heart will be more clean, more pure and closer to God?

My thoughts:
1. To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down upon everybody else... I’m quite sure this verse was never in the Bible before today. It is significant because it has pierced my heart and I know I’ve been quite confident of my own righteousness, rather than on my knees in gratitude for His righteousness given to me. Another sin to add to my list in the back of my book.

2. Two things. I was convicted of moral superiority in the political arena. It’s not a ‘sometimes’ sin; it’s an ‘everyday’ sin. Or should I say an every night sitting by the tv sin. What got me as the actual sin of it was what Mr. Bridges called a resultant spirit of contempt toward others. Secondly, I was so convicted of the pride of an independent spirit. I pride myself in being independent… doesn’t that just say it all! Am I going to have to change my entire personality? And an unteachable attitude stood out to me. I remember Beth Moore, in one of her studies or maybe on her blog, stating to teachers to watch out!... surely we are not the only voice we listen to!

3. Me, myself and I. I am pondering Jeremiah 17: 9 in three translations…
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? NIV
The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? NLT
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? ESV

4. Guilty as charged. I am only answering this to myself.

5. My calendar reveals I am too busy; I always have some kind of project going; I spend much more time on God’s work than with God Himself; and I may say I like unfilled days, but too many blank days and I’m antsy.
My checkbook reveals I like to eat (gluttony has been on my list since the beginning). Every month there is a donation or two, but not enough in number and certainly not enough in amount to even wince over.

6. I thought I’d never get through the ‘Pride’ chapter. I was so burdened by my sin in every direction, in every area. One stormy afternoon I took my list and one-by-one went through each sin, naming it and confessing it to God. Then, I asked His forgiveness for each one (I John 1: 9). Then, I asked for a repentant heart and began to choose to repent, one-by-one. With some I’m just barely even recognizing them as sins, and some I’ve moved on to applying Scripture to them like ointment and bandage. This week I’m hoping to adopt Ezra’s attitude:

At the time of the sacrifice, I stood up from where I had sat in mourning with my clothes torn. I fell to my knees and lifted my hands to the LORD my God. I prayed,
“O my God, I am utterly ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to you. For our sins are piled higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached to the heavens. From the days of our ancestors until now, we have been steeped in sin. That is why we and our kings and our priests have been at the mercy of the pagan kings of the land. We have been killed, captured, robbed, and disgraced, just as we are today. Ezra 9: 5-7 NLT

7. I’m holding on to this promise in Philippians 1: 6 with everything I’ve got:
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

For July 29:
Skip Chapter 13 – we’ll read it later.
Read Chapters 14, 15 & 16.