But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. James 4:6
There was once a famous sculptor, who I will call Henry. His work was famous and people would come from all around the world to see his works. He had complete mastery of bronze, stone, clay and wood and nothing escaped his extraordinary capabilities: single figures, groups of figures, be they sitting or standing were exact and undeniable.
Above all, Henry was able to bring his sculptures to life, telling their stories with realism and powerful emotions. Henry's sculptures looked so real, they were filled with energy and thought, ready to spring to life!
One day Henry dreamed that after fifteen days, the Demon of Death would come to take him. He quickly prepared nine statues of himself and on the fifteenth day, when he heard the Demon of Death coming, he took his place between the statues. The Demon could not recognize him and was bewildered to see ten Henrys, instead of just one.
The Demon rushed back to his Master and told the matter. The Master was so irked, he set out to take Henry himself.
When he arrived, Henry once again stood motionless among his self statues. The Master perplexed and exasperated thought for a moment. He then asked aloud, "Henry, these sculptures would have been perfect but for one mistake."
Unable to suffer the least blemish in his work, Henry came out and asked, "Where is the fault in my work?" The Master of Death caught him and said, "RIGHT HERE" as he took hold of Henry.
Henry's statues were faultless, but he was caught because of his pride!
We all fall into the 'trap of pride' at some time. We all desire to be acknowledged and recognized. It is the carnal man within us, still God is asking us to walk daily in the Holy Spirit.
It is so easy for any of us to be proud of almost any improvement or achievement: a job promotion; a new vehicle; the home we live in; physical beauty... etc. Yet, we need to be giving all the credit to God.
God is looking for humility, or like Henry we will fall flat on our faces! Likewise, the opening verse says that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Our humbleness must be genuine - and only God knows if it truly is!
Pride has a way of creeping in, so we must be able to recognize it. It can creep into our lives and even our churches.
So once again, we must focus on the grace, glory, mercy, compassion and provision, which all come from the greatness of our God. We must remember that everything we are able to do, is because of the talents and gifts that God has given us! Keeping close to Him in His Word and prayer is the key that will keep pride locked away!
Even the next breath we take is by His grace alone... something Henry did not understand!
There was once a famous sculptor, who I will call Henry. His work was famous and people would come from all around the world to see his works. He had complete mastery of bronze, stone, clay and wood and nothing escaped his extraordinary capabilities: single figures, groups of figures, be they sitting or standing were exact and undeniable.
Above all, Henry was able to bring his sculptures to life, telling their stories with realism and powerful emotions. Henry's sculptures looked so real, they were filled with energy and thought, ready to spring to life!
One day Henry dreamed that after fifteen days, the Demon of Death would come to take him. He quickly prepared nine statues of himself and on the fifteenth day, when he heard the Demon of Death coming, he took his place between the statues. The Demon could not recognize him and was bewildered to see ten Henrys, instead of just one.
The Demon rushed back to his Master and told the matter. The Master was so irked, he set out to take Henry himself.
When he arrived, Henry once again stood motionless among his self statues. The Master perplexed and exasperated thought for a moment. He then asked aloud, "Henry, these sculptures would have been perfect but for one mistake."
Unable to suffer the least blemish in his work, Henry came out and asked, "Where is the fault in my work?" The Master of Death caught him and said, "RIGHT HERE" as he took hold of Henry.
Henry's statues were faultless, but he was caught because of his pride!
We all fall into the 'trap of pride' at some time. We all desire to be acknowledged and recognized. It is the carnal man within us, still God is asking us to walk daily in the Holy Spirit.
It is so easy for any of us to be proud of almost any improvement or achievement: a job promotion; a new vehicle; the home we live in; physical beauty... etc. Yet, we need to be giving all the credit to God.
God is looking for humility, or like Henry we will fall flat on our faces! Likewise, the opening verse says that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Our humbleness must be genuine - and only God knows if it truly is!
Pride has a way of creeping in, so we must be able to recognize it. It can creep into our lives and even our churches.
So once again, we must focus on the grace, glory, mercy, compassion and provision, which all come from the greatness of our God. We must remember that everything we are able to do, is because of the talents and gifts that God has given us! Keeping close to Him in His Word and prayer is the key that will keep pride locked away!
Even the next breath we take is by His grace alone... something Henry did not understand!
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