The Price We Pay to "Have It All"

What woman hasn't picked up a magazine like this one and wished that she could be like the "picture perfect" person on the cover? We tell ourselves that, if only we had their body, wardrobe, fame, or fortune, all our troubles would be over. After all, doesn't the world tell us that these things will satisfy us? That true happiness is found in "having it all"? And so we wake up every morning, look in the mirror, and try our best to emulate the people we want to be like. And when we realize that we can't attain the perfection we desire, we give ourselves a heaping helping of pride and go on our way.

Pride has many clever facades. It disguises itself as insecurity and, at times, even humility. But we shouldn't be fooled or at all surprised when it doesn't satisfy us like we thought it would. Pride can feel good, really good... for a time. But time has a way of catching up with us and soon we find our precious pride has left us nothing more than empty promises. Sure it may be easy to hide behind, but that doesn't erase our desire to be seen as someone of worth.




Do you recognize the cover of this magazine? Surely you've seen many just like it at the grocery store check-out lines or in airport convenient stores. Looks like it's got some juicy gossip in there. Maybe you should read a page or two, just so you can see how truly messed up the stars in Hollywood are. It might even make you feel better about your life and how much more "put-together" you are than them. C'mon, what could it hurt to read a page or two? After all, how can you pray for these people if you don't know what's going on in their lives?

Sound all too familiar? I know I've had thoughts like these many times. But who do we think we're fooling? We like gossip because it makes us feel better about ourselves. Mr. Pride is knocking on our door once again, only now he tells us that we could never be like other people, not because they're better than us, but because we're better than them. And let's be real, we like it much better this way.




"Alexander Pope called it 'the never-failing vice of fools.' Pride--a destroyer of ministries, marriages, friendships, jobs, and character... To fulfill our God-given destinies-- to allow the King of all creation to show Himself through us-- we must overcome the temptation to seek our own glory by desiring His instead. If we are to recognize and allow God to free us from any areas of captivity, we must recognize pride as more than self-promotion. It's a dangerous lure to captivity." -Beth Moore, Breaking Free (emphasis mine)

I can't think of another word that better describes pride than deceptive. Pride sets itself up as our friend when it is actually our enemy. It covers our heart (which is deceptive to begin with), doesn't like to be told what to do, thinks it's free enough, denies that there's a problem, and won't admit to weakness. Now does that sound like a good friend to you?

Daniel 4:37 tells us that those who walk in pride will be humbled by the Lord! I don't reference this verse to scare us, but to help us realize the price we pay for our pride. Either we choose to humble ourselves, or the Lord will do the work Himself. You see, pride is one of the most dangerous strongholds to have because it conceals itself so beautifully. That's why we must rid ourselves of it before it brings us disgrace. And let's not fool ourselves, it WILL bring us disgrace eventually (Proverbs 13:10).

Oh Lord, give us a washing with Your Word!

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
"Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up."
-James 4:6, 10

Are you as grateful as I am that we have a God who longs to lift us up? Who desires not that we be consumed, but that we be given grace through humility? Let's make a decision here and now, my Beloved, to humble ourselves before the Lord each and every day. To surrender our pride in exchange for humility and choose to receive the precious grace that awaits us. There is no better time to begin than right now, on our knees. Will you kneel beside me, friend? Let's let the Lord loosen these chains and show us what TRUE freedom feels like!