“The tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’” —Luke 18:13
Over the years, I’ve come to realize that the higher up we find ourselves in terms of power, influence, and wealth the more vulnerable we become to pride and self-deceit and the more prone we are to be blind to our spiritual needs and deficiencies.
Our pride causes us to be more conscious of the sins and failures of others than our own. But could it be that God is more offended by our proud, unteachable spirits than by adulterers or drunkards who make no pretense of being godly? The sobering reality is that proud, unbroken Christians have done far more damage to the church than sinners outside the church could ever inflict.
In focusing on the failures of those we consider less spiritual, we miss the heart and the gospel of Christ. Yet the grace of God is always available to those who lay down their pride and offer God the sacrifice He most desires—a broken, contrite heart.
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The Quiet Place: Daily Devotional Readings ©2012 Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Scripture taken from The CSB
Make it Personal
Ask God to deepen your awareness of His holiness and your sinfulness, that you might be cast on His grace.