Daily writing prompt

What’s something you used to believe as a kid that seems ridiculous now?

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I never really believed it, but growing up I was surrounded by the attitude that pride is life’s greatest ride. Adults like to tell children to be proud. “Be proud of yourself. Be proud of your family. Be proud of your country.” They like to tell them, “I’m proud of you.”

Pride isn’t promoted only through words. Adults and children like to do more than boast about their pride. They like to display it through an arrogant and boastful attitude. Nowadays there’s even a month that celebrates pride. I believe in humility.

A great country is made up of great people. If you want your country to be great, you need to become great. But how can you become great? Jesus put it this way: “The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:11-12)

Greatness consists of the servanthood of humility, not the boasting of pride. “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” (4:6)

“Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise. His greatness no one can fathom.” (Psalm 145:3) “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6) That’s what Jesus did. (Philippians 2:3-8)

Let Christ live in you. (Colossians 1:27) Let Jesus be your risen Lord. (Philippians 2:9-11) Let Him directly lead you from within throughout each day. (Romans 8:14) Then you will experience true greatness because: “The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

People often see their religion as something to be proud about, but Christ wants to lead people toward humility. Proud religious institutions tend to promote Jesus as though He is dead or stuck in the past. But He is alive and present in the present. Life’s greatest ride is to deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow and obey the risen Jesus. (Luke 9:23)

Christianity without full, humble surrender to the real, active, and demonstrated presence of the living Jesus falls far short of the faith described in the Bible. Here’s the religion that the Bible teaches. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)