Confessions of a Pride-aholic

Guys, I'm going to be honest. I struggle with pride a lot. I think I've really seen it come through a good amount in the last couple weeks--it's always been a struggle on the basketball court, but I've seen it manifest itself in some different ways recently.

After the AAF/Cru panel discussion, I was extremely pride-filled, and just wanted people to come talk to me about the job I did. And tonight, when I was working on blog entries, I really felt myself wanting to come across as really smart, with a really well-thought-out post on here, equal parts funny, organized, God-glorifying, theologically accurate, and intelligent. I wrote a couple different things, which I may or may not take up writing again at some point later. But the point is, that when I come across a public forum where I can get some glory for myself, I tend to take it and revel in it.

This is my sinful flesh acting. My flesh wants some freakin' recognition. My flesh wants me to be the center of attention.

Biblically, we see that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4). I should be seeking not my own glory in these situations, and not my own recognition, but that God would be glorified and shown through me. Humility in these situations is taking a back seat and saying, "It's not about me, my answers, my blog entries, my abilities, it's about the work that God is doing in my life, and how he has changed me. It's about how incredible God is."

And that's the attitude I want to take with this blog, and I want to say a prayer for all of us as we go about writing it:

• Lord, you are incredible, and our desire is to glorify you with this blog. Lord, let us not be about ourselves, our own thoughts, our own glory, but instead to use this means of communication to better view You, to see in each others' lives and each others' growth how great You truly are. Lord, in particular, I pray that you humble me as I write, and throughout my life in general, that I would seek to boast only in you, and to seek Your renown rather than my own. God, I pray that we would be able to grow in knowing You, and that this would cause us to walk in a manner that is more fully pleasing to You, and that this would in turn lead us to desire ever-increasing knowledge of You and intimacy with You. (Colossians 1:9-10).