Evidence of Grace

The fight against pride starts every morning when I wake up. Christ has carried me a long way in this fight, though I still have much more ahead of me than behind me in my battle against self-centeredness. I am not exaggerating when I say that I truly thought the world and everything in it was about me, Jennifer, until about 4 years ago.

Since graduating from college I have felt this constant and selfish tug in my heart to prove myself in all that I do. College is performance centered, and so I suppose after five years of performing and seeking the approval of professors and peers, I am still very much in the mindset of "I want to be the best..." While excellence can be a good thing, it is only so if we are striving for excellence for God's glory. In the past months I have found myself striving for excellence for my benefit and my glory, sometimes even in the name of Christ, and I must say, I have met much discouragement and disappointment because of it. This selfish ambition cultivates a nauseatingly critical heart, which only compounds the frustration.

In the past weeks Christ has been teaching me to praise Him for this discouragement and disappoint and has used these things to turn my head away from the mirror and toward heaven.

C.J. Mahaney a former pastor and author writes about combating pride in his book. "Humility: True Greatness." (Quick and necessary confession: At times there is even pride in my heart that is built upon my reading this book. Oh my. Sin is so cunning.) He points out a number of simple practices for doing battle against the sin of pride. One such practice is Identifying and appreciating evidence of grace in the lives of those around us. My critical heart is quick to find the insuffiency of my brothers and sisters, but reluctant to look for and see grace at work in their lives. Here is an excerpt from the book that convicted my heart and encouraged me to see others as Christ sees them (an act that is both humbling and encouraging).

"What about people in your church? Would they tend to view you as just another fault- finder? Or do they know you as someone who actively calls attention to the evidences of God's gracious work in their lives and in the church?
In his commentary on 1 Corinthians, David Prior emphasizes Paul's valuable example for how we view our churches today: 'Paul looks at the Corinthian church as it is in Christ Jesus before he looks at anything else that is true of the church. That disciplined statement of faith is rarely made in local churches; the warts are examined and lamented, but often there's no vision of what God has already done in Christ.'"

Before pointing out the faults of the church in Corinth (there were plenty to point out), Paul graciously acknowledges and rejoices in the power of the gospel at work in the hearts of Corinthian believers.

"To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Today, look for evidence of grace in those around. And be encouraged by the power of the gospel at work in their hearts and yours.