Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I had a long meeting with the Living God this morning and He spent some time Refining my Heart for the Journey. The One who Created me is Kind and Gentle but when He is doing Business on the Heart He doesn’t soften the blow. He used His Heavenly highlighter over weak spots that I haven’t conquered yet, and He reminded me of His Strength. The Bible says “It’s a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God” and that we are to “Work out (your) salvation with fear and trembling” so it is no small thing to have unsettled business with the Living God. Part of my Lesson this morning made me weep with shame, and some of the Message made me overflow with joy – but none of the Message would have been possible, nor would it have any impact on my Life whatsoever, had I refused to be willing to be Molded by my Maker again this morning. When it comes to things like Heart and Character, there’s no such thing as being “complete”…at least not on this side of Heaven. There’s always room for improvement and I’m driven to be all that I can be for Him. Isn’t that the way you look at your Lessons too?

There are lots of reasons why most people don’t continue to Grow for as long as they live, but I think the biggest reason is pride. It’s often said, “Pride comes before the fall” but that’s a condensed version of what it says in Proverbs which drives the message home a little deeper…”Pride goes before destruction, a haughty (arrogant) spirit before a fall”. Pride is what prevents us from being willing to be transparent, and pride is what keeps us from sharing our Trials and Victories aka our Witness. Pride is when we convince ourselves that we’re something we’re not and that we’re bigger and better than we really are. Pride is what makes us run from the Spirit of God when it’s Lesson Time, and pride is what stands in the way of revealing our weaknesses. Pride is what prompts us to judge someone else, and pride is what makes us lie to ourselves about who and what we really are. Pride drives greed, and pride drives lies. It’s pride that will stop us from helping the helpless, and it’s pride that leads us to lose our identity in our checkbook. A prideful heart refuses to admit when it’s wrong, and pride stands in the way of forgiveness. There’s no end to the destruction that pride brings with it, and eventually, pride will build a shell around the Heart that is so hard that we’re no longer Recognizable as God’s People…and we become useless to the King. There’s no room for pride if we want to grow, and unless we get a handle on pride, we can’t find Humility.

I’ve been slapped around by people of Faith more often than I can count when they hear me confess my weaknesses or when I share my trials or temptations. Their pride drives them to believe that a person of Faith should leave those things “in the past where they belong” and they frown upon sharing flaws and failures with the world. But I have no pride when it comes to being a Vessel for the Living God, and I know that the more I share about my own Life, the more inclined God will be to use me to help someone else. My Journey has had peaks and valleys but it wasn’t just a mountain of mess even though it felt that way sometimes. Every minute has been ordained that led me to such a time as this! Today my Life is a Powerful, Living, Breathing Testimony, and I’m not too proud to share it. Every single piece has Grown me, and every pain has made me Stronger. But most of all, I know that ” All things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to HIS purpose” and the Hand of God can be seen before, during, and after my Trials and Tribulations…and I wouldn’t change a thing. My Life has Purpose, and I’m Humbled to be used by the King. So, whenever pride tries to sneak in…and I’m inclined to take credit for things in my life that I have no business owning at all…it’s time for a Lesson on Humility straight from the Throne of the Living God. I may not like it much when it’s Lesson Time, but I’m Ready and Willing to be Molded by my Maker so that I can be ALL that He intends for me to be for as long as there is breath in my body.

How about you?