pride can kill a ministry. i was thinking about this, wondering what exactly it meant to me. i know pride is wrong and what stems from pride can be disturbing (see what happened to king Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4), but what effect does it have on my church and myself. in my pondering i came up with this.

pride can kill my ministry to non-believers if i am to prideful in my spirituality to admit. to admit to failing, to admit to being no better than any non-Christ follower, to admit to a life that is still undeserving of the gift i was given and to admit (and i think this is a big one for the church) to admit that things aren’t under our control and we don’t have it all together. i think, as christians we hate to seem like we don’t have it together.

i have jesus, of course everything is fine.

this separation will not attract non-christ following society. i propose it does the opposite. why would i have any interest in being in a group of people, that i have nothing in common with or who always come off a step ahead of me. i wouldn’t.

some of the best conversations i have had with people, the ones that most profoundly impact my life, are the ones in which pride is left at the door, and the person sharing is just letting out their frustrations and their failures. as christ-followers we all to often distance ourselves from this kind of openess with unbelieving friends. i wonder if a non-christ follower would like me more or less in light of this kind of self disclosure?