May 19: GOD USES OUR FAILURES TO DISARM OUR PRIDE.

Affirmation: I am blessed and grateful.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬
~~~~~~~~
Ponder, Personalize, Practice: Own this scripture today and everyday. Jot it on you calendar as a daily or weekly reminder. Experience God’s peace.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians ­4:4-7 NIV

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Live in Grace. Walk in Love. By Bob Goff 

May 19

GOD USES OUR FAILURES TO DISARM OUR PRIDE.

Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. 
PROVERBS 28:13 

You're never as good as your greatest success, and you're never as bad as your worst failure. That’s something I tell students on their first day at the law school where I've been teaching for almost a decade. When everything is going your way, it's easy to strut. When everything is crumbling, it's easy to think you're a loser. What I'm getting at is this: our identity is not anchored to our best or our worst moments. We live between them. 


A big theme that immediately develops when we follow Jesus is the need to start living by a different set of rules. The world says the more money you have, the more important or powerful you are. God says the more money you have, the harder it is to be like Jesus. Why? Because money gives you options and independence. And God is inviting you to become more dependent on Him and have less confidence in what you own. The world says the more followers or fans you have, the more popular you are. But God says if you want to be popular with Him, you'll stay close to the lowly in heart where He is. 


Jesus was drawn to the people who couldn't seem to get it together. He's crazy about the ones who are killing it, too, but often they just don't feel as desperate for Him. For most of us, there will be a time when this all changes. Something will happen that makes what we put our faith in, other than God, fall like a house of cards. Each of us will experience a defining moment that will shape our faith if we'll let it. 


I think God uses our failures to disarm our pride. He meets us in the wreckage, and He makes us more humble. If you're riding high on a run of fortunate events, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. If you're getting battered by a run of unfortunate events, remember that you're in good company. 


What past failure has taught you about humility and dependence?

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