Good morning! How are we faithing? Vanity. Oh how vanity ruins. Vanity puffs up. Vanity makes men brag about themselves. Vanity makes men brag about others. What is it all for? What purpose does vanity serve? Self. Vanity serves self. What better tool can the enemy use than vanity? Like we've talked about before, a vain leader thinks and acts to feed that vanity and not the mission. We all have enough vanity to put on our best face, wash up and dress the best we can but vanity will cause one to go over board. The root many times for that kind of vanity can be two fold. Self worth/esteem and a desire to be better than anyone else. Those two things are opposite and equally destructive. God made you. God has a purpose for you. What others think of you is not as important as what God thinks. God said you are wonderfully made. God says he loves YOU enough to let his son be sacrificed for YOU yet we get concerned what Joe Blow down the street thinks? No one likes to think someone doesn't like them or thinks ill of them but in the end, does it matter? We need to be about our Fathers business and let what ever condition others may be in be Gods concern. Man, if we are constantly concerned about what others think and chase after acceptance from them, that's all we'd do and if that's what you're doing, stop. What is your standard? God's or mans? If I compare myself to my neighbor I would tend to let him sink so I look better. If I let the standard be ,"I am holier than him", we miss the cross completely. Our standard is how we measure up to Jesus. Look at this;
1Co 3:18-20
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness," and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."
Gal 6:3-5
For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.
1Co 3:18-20
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness," and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."
Gal 6:3-5
For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.
Do you see that? This isn't telling us to be haughty or braggarts but to pay attention to you own plate, that it is clean and don't look at the guy's next to you. It's enough of a job to keep yours clean and the standard is not how clean your neighbors is but how clean Jesus' is.
Heavenly Father,
Help us pay attention to what we ought to. Teach us to look to you and not men. Help us be critical of ourselves yet remember who you said we are in Christ. Bless our children and bless congress that they have courage. Bless our president that he sees you and pleases you and not man. Open our eyes to folly and grant us courage to be your servants in all things. In Jesus name, amen
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