The Other 6 Days
As the church, we spend most of our thought, time and effort working towards our weekend gatherings; with the majority of our lives being lived outside of Sundays. The Other 6 Days Podcast is designed to help us be more intentional about the ways we can "show up" for the gospel the other 6 days of the week.
The Other 6 Days
The Problem of Pride | The Other 6 Days | Episode 45
In this episode, we talk about the problem of pride... what it is, how the world sees it vs. how God sees it, how it shows up in our lives and what we can do about it. We kick of the podcast with some conversation about how Enneagram 8's deal with the problem of pride and then jump into some cultural perspectives & what the Bible has to say on the topic. We then wrap it up with some practical ways we can combat pride in our lives as well as some helpful resources to assist along the journey.
SHOW NOTES & RESOURCES:
- Timothy Keller: The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness: The Path to True Christian Joy (https://a.co/d/69KE1fh)
- (Good book on gospel-humility)
- Eugene Peterson: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society (https://a.co/d/2cxFkqx) / growing in faithfulness through worship, service, joy, work, happiness, humility, community, and blessing.
- Wayne Mack: Humility: The Forgotten Virtue (Strength for Life) (https://a.co/d/frnH4xS)
- (Develop humility & diminish pride)
- FROM PRIDE TO HUMILITY: A Biblical Perspective (https://a.co/d/9HwGi86)
- Easy reference guide / lists pride and challenging attributes of humility)
- Andrew Murray - Humility: The Journey Toward Holiness (https://a.co/d/fCKTqXX)
- We want your questions, comments & feedback. Leave a comment on Youtube or if you are just listening, email us at theother6days@southwestchurch.com
For more information or to join the conversation, head over to https://southwestchurch.com/theother6days or email us at theother6days@southwestchurch.com
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Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Other Six Days podcast, where we chat about life outside of Sundays and what it means to live from our gatherings, and not just for them. I'm your host, cj McFadden, here with Pastor Ricky Jenkins, and today we're getting ready to talk about all things pride, what it is, how the world sees it versus how God sees it, how it shows up in our lives and what we can do about it. But first, as always, as we get ready to have a conversation, knowing that me and Ricky are both Enneagram type eights, let's start by pointing out the good, the bad and the ugly of how we see this play out in our lives.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're both. Eights and Enneagram is just a tool we've used over the years and we kind of it's helped us show up well for one another. And if you're new to it, enneagram sets up your type, right. But the reason it's sweet, I think, especially for gospel-centered work, is that it expresses this is how you show up when you're healthy, this is how you show up when you're unhealthy. So for me and CJ, when we're healthy, we're industrious. Eights are enterprising. Eights are very passionate.
Speaker 2:Eights usually don't have a problem with confidence. Nope, we can come off as strong, we can be courageous, very protective, right? Yeah, like we provide for others, we carry others with our strength and I think this is the most signifying or the most authenticating feature of healthy eights is that we have a strong penchant for justice. Yep, so if something's done wrong, we, we're on it, we're on it, we're on it, we're on it. And the courage piece is that we believe we're the one that is supposed to fall off the cliff. Yep, like that's us, it's like, oh, that's what we, we want to do. That, yeah, yeah, I'd like to go out that way Exactly. And hey God, that is healthy, that's healthy, that's healthy yeah.
Speaker 1:What about the unhealthy? The unhealth? I'll cover the unhealth for us, yeah. So I also like to throw in there on the health side is the intensity is the word we throw in. I'm very tense. Unhealth begins. We begin to dominate our environment, including others. Potentially we can become a little boastful, forceful, expansive, proud, egocentric. We want to impose our will and vision on everything, and severe cases are kind of extremes. We don't see others as equals and we don't treat them with the respect they deserve. We can be brutal, hard-hearted, some say megalomaniac, invulnerable, reckless and even vengeful. And good thing that's never been me. Yeah, you're right, yeah, but that's another ace. Unhealth, other ace, yeah, but we see that sweep in and that's kind of where we're going with it, with the pride thing today is pride has a tendency to pull us in that direction of unhealth, right, and so we see those things kind of creep into our lives a little bit.
Speaker 2:Yep, good indicators of where we're at right. Yeah, it's always good to see symptoms, to be able to know that you're sick, right to be able to know that you're sick, right Like it's always just good to have conversations like this and to throw stuff out there, because Satan man has a way of bringing this stuff in so subtly that you don't see it until it's probably too late. So that's what all today's conversation is about is throwing the stuff out there. So when it comes up in our heart and mind big platforms, little platforms we can say, oh, wait, wait, oh, that's what that is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we can see something and do something about it. 100% yeah, I wrote Mono, my biggest desire is to partnership with God and being an Enneagram 8 and it being a tool and perpetuating his kingdom and bringing about the will to redeem and construct a better new world for everyone.
Speaker 2:So kind of that justice piece and the tension always is when I forget that who's in charge and pride steps in and I take the reins. I resonate with that so deeply when we have adverse circumstances, trouble in our life, man, man, it's getting hard right now. In that moment it's really hard to understand why and how that can be a good thing, because Richard says he'll use all of our stuff for our good. But when I think about pride, and how quickly my heart drifts to overconfidence, how, if it's a good season, I pray less, oh, how my praise is not as exuberant, right, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:And so, like in God's kindness to allow us to go through some toughness and some situations, and I think he just one of the things he's doing for us is bringing us back to a place of lowliness, independency upon him, and that's the safest place to be. And that's not the hermeneutic for the day. But, and that's not the hermeneutic for the day. But when I think about pride, I think about the gifts of struggle. Yeah, you know what I mean. How he's been kind to us, because it's hard to be prideful while you're struggling.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Amen, I'll say ouch. Well, as we jump into the idea of pride as a problem today, I think it's good if we first kind of tease out some of the common cultural positions, thoughts and perspectives on it. Like what do we see in the society? Why is it so elevated in today's culture, this idea of pride?
Speaker 2:Absolutely Well, one of the reasons why, especially for new Christians, people knew the Bible. It's so hard to see pride as an issue and it's something, man, that you have to deal with. It's because all every voice that you have to deal with. It's because all every voice, every medium, every platform around us flaunts it, right, like pride is not just a good thing, it's a necessary thing, right, it's like cultural fuel. So, when you think about the politicians of our day, when you think about on both sides, by the way when you think about the celebrity, the typical celebrity does not show up, humbly, yeah, in culture, this is true, right, the business leaders of the day, social media, influencers, all that good stuff Pride is celebrated, right, and here we are, pilgrims, as Christians, flying through this world who are saying pride is actually bad, and we're going to show in a minute how pride is the worst thing that you could do in your life?
Speaker 1:yeah, very problematic. It's funny. I was, you said it. I was talking to natalie even just a little earlier, and she said, uh, I said it's so funny, I didn't realize that problem. Pride was a problem in my life, but I noticed it in a lot of others and I said, so, I would see it. I was like like man, I can't stand pride. I am so I get irritated by prideful people and man, it just really slapped me. But I'm like I'm the most prideful of them all.
Speaker 2:And so when I, you know, when I saw that in my own life, now I could do something about it, you know, yeah, Well, I was driving in the day and on our corner there's an elementary school, so there's always parents in the morning taking kids or whatever. I'm a little later. I'm usually here by 7.30, 8 o'clock. I'm pulling up, I think at 8.30. There's a dad walking, this kid. Now, you're not supposed to cross where he's crossing, you're supposed to cross at the street.
Speaker 2:And, real talk, I'm flying, I'm not speeding, but I'm going a solid 40. And of course I see them and I naturally kind of slam on the brakes and such and such, and the dad just has such a look on him, yeah, and he's looking like man, slow your tail down, is what he's thinking. And I'll be, I'll keep it real. In my heart I didn't say a word, yeah, but in my heart I said you know, bump, you, you know like you're crossing the wrong area and all this kind of stuff. And I left him and the spirit was like if you would have been here with your boy, you would, in fact I would have said something to him. Yeah, if that would have been the you know, I'd repent it. I says Lord, I'm sorry that I had that in my heart, yeah, but that you're exactly right, cj, I can see it on you. I refuse to see it on me. Thank you, lord, for the Holy Spirit. Yeah, to see it on me.
Speaker 1:Thank, you, lord, for the Holy Spirit who shows us us, and that's what today is all about. Well, exactly, and you know, and it's hard, like we were saying, as it's celebrated in our current culture, you know, and a lot of you know, pride seems to be connected to success a lot too, and you know kind of you know our identity and independence and strength and individuality and stuff. It's really hard to, uh, you know, I'm always someone questioned me and said, hey, is success even achievable, actually, without pride and our current culture? And so, um, I it's funny, I wrote down one of the guys, uh, sean Evans. Do you know the hot ones? Sure Does the yeah, yeah, the YouTuber, um, he interviews celebrities and spicy chicken wing stuff, and so he's shown a lot of success. I didn't have a lot of examples of successful people who were, you know, show humility.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think that's. I think that's a good nuance for us too, as we talk about a culture that ordains and sanctions pride. Right, that's also a culture that has devised its own definition of success. Oh, yeah, right. So, like Christian success is not worldly success, which is why it's so hard to distinguish how God wants us to show up.
Speaker 2:Christian success is called faithfulness. Yep, right. So we're going to heaven, whether we're rich or poor, if we trust in Jesus. We're going to heaven, whether we're successful in business or eight bankruptcies. Yeah, right, yeah.
Speaker 2:But the scripture when we see him, he will not say well done, good and successful servant. He will say well done, good and faithful servant. Now hear me, we should be successful with our gifts and steward all that stuff. You know as much as he is, but our way is not their way. So I always think about that movie, the Skulls, about the secret society, and their saying was our rules above their rules, and that's true for Christianity. Our rules are not their rules, right? So, like, pride is based on a whole system in the world that even envisions success as something different than what we do, and I guess the point I'm trying to make here is, when we come to Christ, he calls us to an entirely new creation and he is bringing his kingdom to bear on this earth through us, and I think we're going to kind of discover, in our conversation today too, how that is not oppressive. It's actually freeing us from a rat race. Yeah, that's never going to be satisfying too. So, anyways, it's all kinds of stuff in this.
Speaker 1:Oh man, absolutely yeah, our pursuit should look different. Therefore, our succession should look different as well. That's right. So, yeah, let's talk about what the Bible has to say about pride. You know, kind of run through that a little bit, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So it's kind of some corollary verses for us to kind of dive into later, if you guys are listening. Dictionary definition pride is an excessively high opinion of oneself or one's importance, and there's several, so many verses about pride. Proverbs 8, 13 says to fear the Lord is to hate evil. I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. So there's a hermeneutic way Like God are you sure? Here's a verse Jesus 16, 18,.
Speaker 2:Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. So that's a saying in the Jenkins house Pride comes before a fall, pride comes before a fall. To where? Now our kids say it back to us Pride comes before. So we me and Randy play Xbox Madden all the time and he can't. He's not a good loser, you know. So he just struggles, but when he's winning he talks all kind of noise and I always say pride comes before fall, pride comes before fall. But I'm trying to teach him a lesson, so when I'm beating him I'm like man, got you, got you. Pride comes before fall. Dad, he totally understands the verse on me, yeah, but he's.
Speaker 2:The thing I want to add theologically to us is that, christian, you understand pride well when you understand that pride is always the original sin. And so we call anger the indicator emotion. Anger is the second emotion. So when I'm angry, I'm not in sin when I'm angry, but when I'm angry and I've sinned, the anger is my reaction to where I failed. And so I may be angry, but because the reason I'm angry is because I'm sad, but all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2:Well, the same kind of metaphor can be used for understanding pride, pride and some would call it idolatry, but it's always the sin beneath the sin. So if I had an affair, the original sin is not having an affair. The original sin is the pride to think that my vision for my life is better than God's vision for my life, to believe that the intimacy I want to have with this person who is not my spouse right, is better for me and ordained for me over and above God's provision through my spouse. And so pride is always the neat thing. And whenever you don't understand pride, understand the garden. Same thing for Adam and Eve when they ate the fruit.
Speaker 2:The sin was not the original sin was not the fruit. The original sin was in disobeying God. The original sin was believing that my choices are better than God's vision for my life and that my route to satisfaction is better than God's route to my satisfaction. It's pride. It's pride. They put themselves above God's vision of life. That's why pride is so dangerous, because it replaces God with you at the end of the day.
Speaker 1:Yep, disobedience in the garden. Yeah, because at the root of that was pride. So, um, yeah, we see, uh, first, john two, 16, says for all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life, is not from the father, but it's from the world. Yeah, and so you know, obviously, the sinful desire for self-importance and boasting and all of those things. And then Isaiah 14, 12 through 14, we see that Satan actually desired to make himself higher than God and he was exiled from heaven once unrighteousness was found in him, you know, in Ezekiel 28. So I mean, we see it right from the get-go this at the root of all of this, all this kind of sin, right, Well, you know God loves us.
Speaker 2:God aspires to his own glory. Right. One, because he's worthy. Two, because the only way you and I can be made whole and to truly experience the freedom he has destined for us, the truly no fullness of joy and satisfaction. Right is that he might be worshipped. And so in Proverbs it says he hates pride and perverseness. It's because when I am given the pride, I am stealing the glory from God and I'm putting myself above him. So God hates it for a number of reasons. One, you stole my glory. That's only worth of me. And two, you got yourself out of my perfect will for your life, which is for you to be made whole. And so pride, that's why God hates it. God hates it because it messes us up. You know what I mean. So it's just, it's just so deep and thick it messes everything it does. There's the line Pride messes everything.
Speaker 1:Yep. So what are some of the practical effects of pride? Some of the things that we see, you know, just kind of you know, play out practically yeah.
Speaker 2:One of the most dangerous things, I think, in life is just what happens around you. But pride is a reminder that the most dangerous thing of life is what happens inside. Yeah, yep, and that's good news, because if you can bring Jesus to the inside issues, then it starts to solve the outside issues, I think. And so I'm not prideful. Some people say I'm not prideful, I'm just proud. Yeah, and I just want to caution that kind of thing. Yeah, you know, yeah, and I get it right, yeah. Yeah, I'm proud that my kid caught the ball from third base the other day. I'm proud that Grandy got a double. I'm really proud of that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, careful when you say stuff like that, more than you say stuff about your humility and your lowliness, because it's often this indicator that you're trying to aspire to some sort of self-promotion. You know what I mean. Yeah, yeah. So Tim Keller said this we said this a couple of weeks ago that one of the indicators of your sin issues is your constant defense of it. You know what I mean. And so when you say I'm not prideful, I'm just proud, yeah, like, be careful if that's a broken record, be careful if that's a repeat in your soul.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like you're showing us something about what's really going on, what's going on kind of in your heart? Yeah, yeah, about what? What's really going on, what's going on kind of in your heart? Yeah, well, and the idea of being proud is, you know, the thought behind in the sentiment is appreciation and respect, right so, of something or someone, but it's different than pride, which is about arrogance and superiority. But it's a step away, right, exactly Right. So, yeah, just be cautious.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you know it's just. I think we need to. You and God are not partners. Yeah, Like, like, like, like the, the proud spirit dumbs God down to a partnership at best, yeah, and almost an accompaniment at least. In other words, I got this, yeah, but I'll bring you in when I need you. Let me tell y'all something you need God to if God don't say let him breathe, you're dying. So I think that's one of the things CJ is that pride tempts the soul to believe that there are times when you don't need God. That's why God says he hates it.
Speaker 1:This ain't a partnership, it's a followership, and we are following that's it and it always warns not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to. And so another practical one of pride. It's actually a great indicator, or what we see in the example is that it's a great mask for discomfort and security and our desire for control. So a lot of times it can come like you said, it's kind of a secondary thing. We're actually covering up something else that's going on in our heart. You present With this idea of you know, being prideful.
Speaker 2:Well, you know and that's kind of laced with how pride and we talked about success earlier. You don't have to be prideful in something you're successful in, because the soul is trying to find any sort of substantiation for itself outside of Christ. Right, there's pride in ethnicity. There is pride in not my finances, but someone I know who has finances and I get to be close to them. There is pride in nationality. There's pride in your political persuasion. There is pride because you were first and you knew it first. Pride is dangerous, it's everywhere. And there's some people who say because I'm not successful, I'm pride. But you know, you may be the most extreme left or extreme right, or pro-black, pro-white, pro-latino, all those sorts of things. And don't hear me say there's nothing wrong with not being proud of who you are, but be careful, because your identity can become conflated with things that are not of Christ, and that's the danger. Don't have masks, for sure.
Speaker 1:Well, and it's so, so pervasive. You can even see it in this. You know this isn't your typical one, but you do see people that are there's actually so prideful that they won't receive help, you know, and they can actually be in a lowly position like you're saying, like not, and then they actually say no, I'm not taking that from you, you know what I mean. And there's a prideful spirit inside of being lowly and so you're like. You know, it's just, it can show its head. In many ways you can be prideful.
Speaker 2:I'm proud about not having any money. Yeah, they did a study not too too long ago that I forget the number of the survey, but anyways. They asked the question of Americans would you rather work on your job and make $100,000 a year, while all of your coworkers make $200,000 a year for the same job? Or would you rather work on that job and make $50,000 a year and all of your coworkers make $25,000 a year and all of your coworkers make $25,000 a year? Yeah, and the study exposed that 50% of Americans 50% said they'd rather make 50. Yep, and their coworkers make half of what they made, which means that it has nothing to do with success and wherewithal. It has everything to do with how I want to be seen in order to feel something the only guy can give.
Speaker 1:So that's heart stuff right there, position control, clout, all that stuff right in there, you know. So it's all kind of nasty. Give me the $100,000. Yeah, I'll be more broke, but on top, thank you, thank you, thank you. That's crazy.
Speaker 2:And Broke, but on top, thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you, Thank you. That's crazy. And then all my coworkers got a boat so I could just borrow a boat. So I think we have a pretty good idea of what pride is and how God feels about pride. What's the opposite of pride, then? And how do you know?
Speaker 2:let's talk about, yeah, so scripture teaches, the antithesis of pride is obviously humility, right? Cs Lewis says the great quote. Humility, then, is not thinking less of yourself, it's just thinking of yourself less. And a lot of times we conflate humility in the culture with shame or less than yourself. And here's the scripture Philippians 2, jesus who thought nothing of being equal with God but humbled himself to the point of the cross, jesus who had every right to boast and say it's all about me, and it actually is. Glory to Jesus Made it all about us. People got freed because someone put humility on, and that's what God calls us to. Proverbs 11, 2 says when pride comes, then comes disgrace. But with humility comes wisdom, and I'm a witness to that.
Speaker 2:Cj Leadership you and I are in positions of leadership and I slip up. Man, you know I ain't got it figured out. I do know this. True leadership is making it up, man, you know I ain't got it figured out, I do know this. True leadership is making it about everybody else. Yeah, absolutely. True leadership does not say, oh, look, all these people are following me. True leadership says oh look, I've come up with a new way for these folks to realize their gift and their potential. Like that's humility and like that's how you know you're okay, you're going to be okay is when you're thinking, not about how I can win, but how can the team win, how can we win, how can the church win, how can the business win, and that's why certain people make it and certain people don't. You know what I mean. And so, like I just want to encourage us, because you may be going through that swirl in your mind because it seems like the braggadocio, people are being elevated and all that junk. If you make your goal about the family winning, the marriage winning, the team winning, the children winning, like everything changes. And here's my point.
Speaker 2:But, ricky, I still won't have any money. Ricky still won't have any resources. You'll have God, yep and wait, because he gives grace to the humble, scripture says, and he resists the proud. And I'm a witness. I just walked by this. I probably shouldn't say this on a podcast. I probably shouldn't say this a podcast, I probably shouldn't say this. So if we shouldn't, we'll fix it. I take him a little morning walk and you know there's closing down different schools and stuff like that, and there's a school, you know, around the corner. I was just like what if God gave us a school that they shut down someday, and what will we do with it? If he gave us one, you know what I mean? I said, man, we can turn the preschool into kindergarten. That's more jobs for people and that's more kids that are getting discipled. There's more this and more that, more this and more that, but anyways, the whole thing is, take care of others. That's what Humanity does. Oh, absolutely Definitely going to have to edit, turn it up, keep going. Well said, save us.
Speaker 1:Well, really, there is nothing more freeing, I've found than setting others up to win, and it took me a long time to start to figure that out, and I wouldn't say I figured it out, but I've stepped into it and experienced it. And you can't go back from that man, because there's something too. I realized that, even in my own faith, that I recognize my relationship with God, my trust and his provision and everything in my life, that when I'm secure in that, I can get freely elsewhere and then to watch others be set up for success, I'm just like this is the ballgame, this is what it's about, and there's just nothing more freeing and I can't, I can't encourage you more than to step into that and to experience it. It seems so counterculture, but it's actually.
Speaker 2:It's just so beautiful and you know the world becomes a better place. Yeah, and the day that you make yourself low, you know what I mean and think about others. And I guess what you and I are trying to say to everybody. If you think, pride, mm-hmm, feels good, yeah, and it's satisfying, oh, yeah, wait till you try. Humility, yeah, there's a sweetness, mm-hmm, because I don't care. Even the worldliest person knows that deep down, pride something wrong with this? Yeah, it's not right. But I have found in humility and may I find more I have found in humility a sweetness and a savor and a connection to Jesus that my prideful days could never, could never match or marry. So I just want to encourage us in that, like we're trying, this is the, this is the new anti-drug. Yeah, humility, yeah.
Speaker 1:It just, it's sweet, it's so life-giving. Yeah, I know, oftentimes humility is seen in our, in our culture and our society as weakness too, and so I know let's flesh out a little bit between humility versus weakness. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:You know you can sub in other virtues, the gospel humility, meekness, gentleness, all these things and culture hears that stuff and says, oh, what are you doing? All this kind of stuff? Here's what I've learned it takes way more strength to be humble. It's good to be prideful. It takes way more strength to be gentle and meek than to be you know and so like. Be careful when you call weakness weakness. Paul said when I'm weak, then am I strong. And so the gospel is just countercultural, like you said, and I think at the end of the day, it's one of the reasons why we get to argue that it's way more rewarding because we lifted heavier weight than the secular culture did. And there's a better reward. There's more strength, more peace, more joy, more wholeness and all those good things. And I think, too, like humility means I'm willing to play the long game. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Like me and you went out to play golf a couple of weeks ago and you and I had played in a while, and you're like Ricky, you're striking something down the fairway. Well, you remember four years ago and I couldn't. I don't think I could hit it for it four years ago. But again, golf is one of those things where you keep coming out, you keep doing the right things, you keep practicing and eventually it will reward you. Yeah, no one ever got good at golf fast. Yep, it just doesn't happen. You know it's a long game.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it keeps humbling you and you stick with it. Right, there's something to be had for Well, and you know, humility, it's not weakness, like I've always seen it, and I searched for this for a while, cause I'm like, what is it? We see Jesus model it and we know that. You know he held all power and authority and he showed up for the least of them with humility. And so, man, if he had all power, then it was power restrained is really what humility is, and so you can see that in people when they hold that, you're like there's something you're, you're getting your power, you're getting everything you need from somewhere else, so you have the availability to show up. You know. You know Jesus wasn't weak. He's a patient, wise, loving and long suffering, you know. So power restraint, power restraint, that's what that I will preach.
Speaker 2:And again it flies in the face of a culture that says use your power, don't for say your power. Oh my God, use your power, use your person. And you know, don't hear me say you don't get to be yourself. Do hear me say that because Jesus laid down some of himself literally. That's the gospel. We became free and everything got better. So yeah, yep. Yeah became free and everything got better.
Speaker 1:So yeah, yep, yeah, lay that stuff down, yeah, hold back that power so that some others might be able to experience that as well. So what are some practical ways that we can combat pride and display humility?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's good to have a checkbox kind of going on the spiritual discipline, just cursor at rhythms, man, the number of things that just having a healthy recipe for spiritual connectivity with God, how it does some things, because some of us are hearing this like, oh my gosh, I'm prideful, what am I going to do? Keep doing the stuff you're supposed to do. You know what I mean. So it's just, we don't get to be overwhelmed, right? The recipe is very simple Scripture, right. Making sure that you're aligned in God's word and absorbing God's word.
Speaker 2:Scripture will always teach that gratitude is the antidote for pride. So, finding ways to say thank you I've learned this. Cj I mean April kind of started to do this every day, where we look at each other and say three things we're thankful for. So, and it's interesting, every time I express thankfulness, even if I don't feel it, but I just say it because technically I am thankful for it and, man, it changes the posture of my heart. You know what I mean and it's just such a win. Generosity is one of the things that distinguishes pride Giving to people, giving time, giving talent, giving truth, giving the gospel pursuits, confession and repentance, constantly doing this First, john 1, 9, if we confess our sins. It's faithful and just and will forgive us. And prayer is where we go to ask God for the strength and wisdom and the power to live that stuff out. What about some others? Cj.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love what you're saying. Going back on gratitude as well, too, you were saying that you speak that to April, and even when you might not feel it, you know it to be true. And that you speak that to April, and even when you might not feel it, you know it to be true, and so I look at that as even same as scripture. It's rehearsing a truth, that's right, and so when you're doing it, you're kind of, you're putting that into your heart and saying, like, even at times that I don't see it, I know this to be true, so I'm going to say it and speak it as though it is, and that you know what I mean and I do it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the Bible says if we draw near to him, he will draw near to us. He also said in the word that, but if you love me, you will keep my commandments. And so he didn't say you will feel my commandments. He said just obey me, just to trust me, trust me, which is trust right. And so just literally rehearsing the truth, as you said, with gratitude and and worship and confession, let's say, and reading my Bible yeah, there's something, it's the beget thing. Gratitude begets, worship begets. All these things just lead you into this place of a lowly posture and humility that God loves, just by doing what God's already told you to do.
Speaker 1:Well, and to do all of these things requires a level of humility, right To engage in them says that I'm going to put this thing that I know to be good for myself or someone else, above my own needs in order that I might operate when and the way that God has called me to. And so I think you know there's one maintaining sober judgment. You know we see that in Romans Also, a huge one is serving others and putting their needs above your own. Is that correct? You know, when we do serve projects and we go out, we serve our neighbor. You know, everyone knows, that there's nothing that makes you feel much better than when you show up for someone else in a time of need.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Well, I had a friend that I said, a friend of a friend who said that somebody had said to them hey, can you show me in the Bible where it says you have to serve your local church? And that's where eights cannot be in those conversations Because we'd blow it up. And I was just thanking God Because the thing I want to say is show me in the Bible where you don't have to be. That's the first thing I want to say. Show me the Bible where you don't.
Speaker 2:You know it's just stupid, but like man, we are all inundated with these opportunities where God is. We think God is saying you know, the church asks you to serve, friends ask you to serve, family asks you to serve. We think that's God saying I don't want you to have your own life and I don't want you to have your own purview in your calendar. What really God is saying is I want to make sure that pride never gets you. I want to make sure that you're close to me. So go serve this homeless person. Yep, go feed this hungry person. Go help these kids out. Yeah, not only will you help them, you'll help yourself. Yeah, is what God is saying. So you know we just got it all wrong.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Well, it's not I don't want, I don't. It's not even necessarily that I need you to feel I love them. That's right Because I care for them, that's right Because they're mine. So go if you love me. Go love them If you love me. And so even the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve. That's right. So, Mark 10, 45. So, yeah, Preach that.
Speaker 2:Donna, If you love me, you'll keep my commandments. Mercy Jesus.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Micah 6, 8, do justice, love, kindness and walk humbly with God. So well, as always here on our podcast guys, we hope that our conversations are engaging, but we want to also provide people with helpful resources. So what are some things that you'd like to point people to that they might find helpful or beneficial? Yeah, we've got some great literature here, Timothy.
Speaker 2:Keller, tim Keller, the Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, the Path to True Christian Joy. It's going to be in the show notes for you guys today. Eugene Peterson, the great one, a Long Obedience in the Same Direction. Discipleship in an Instant Society. Wayne Mack order book on humility, the Forgotten Virus. From Prior to Humility, a Biblical Perspective. And then there's a classic one, andrew Murray. I try to read this book. Every couple of years or so. I read it, andrew Murray. It's just called Humility, probably the best spiritual formation work on humility that's accessible that I've ever read. It's great.
Speaker 1:That's good. Yeah, we'll definitely include that in the show notes. And, as always, guys, we want your questions, comments and feedback here. Leave a comment on YouTube and, if you're listening, you can email us at the other six days at southwestchurchcom. That's the number six. We'd love to hear from you guys if you have any other you know question, comments or resources. But any, Ricky, any last comments or thoughts before we wrap it up, I'm on the fifth day of a seven day water only fast.
Speaker 2:I will confess my pride. I want fried chicken with macaroni and cheese, collard greens and cornbread with ham hocks. I want cornbread and I want German chocolate cake with butter, pecan ice cream and pecan nuts and caramel icing with whipped cream on it for dessert. I just want to confess that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we appreciate that. Yeah, sure, well, I was going to say Sunday's coming, but that's a different kind of end of your fast. All right, well, there you have it, guys coming, but that's a different kind of end of year fast, so, but all right. Well, there you have it, guys. Thanks again for joining us on another episode of the Other Six Days podcast. Be sure to hit that subscribe, follow, share and like, spread the word and, as always, take what you've heard and turn it into something you can do to further the gospel in the world around you. Until next time, peace.