Pride vs. Humility

S: 2 Cor 3:5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.

O: The thing that jumps out at me here is the issue of humility. Paul (with Timothy) openly states that they are not responsible for their own skill but that it comes from God. It turns out that this is a very easy thing to say out loud, but a hard thing to mean all the time. Pride can be buried within so that it’s not exposed to others, but God knows our inmost thoughts. It reminds me of Jesus’ paraphrase of Isaiah in Matthew 15:8: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”

A: The takeaway for me here is to be aware of what I’m thinking and when I’m taking pride in myself and to repent and ask for forgiveness.

P: Father, thank you for the gifts that you have blessed me with. Remind me daily that everything I have is a gift from you and not something I can pride myself in. And thank you for your most important gift, the gift of your Son Jesus.