Beware of Pride (2)

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3 NKJV)
Pride is not just arrogance (exerggerated estimate of self), low self-esteem is also pride. Arrogance and low self-esteem are polar ends of the same stick.
Low self-esteem is expressed in inferiority complex, looking down and talking down on yourself, constantly seeking approval and affirmation from others, having a sense of unworthiness before God etc.
Consider this hypothetical  scenario, a man spent a minute before his rendition to talk about his bad voice and other inadequacies he has in the area of music, yet he secretly relished the commendation and the applaud that attended his rendition; his sincerity is put to test, if anyone tells him after his rendition, 'you sang real bad and your voice is as bad as you described it' ; he will most likely throw some covert tantrums in his heart.
True humility consists in accepting what Gods says about you while you talk, live and carry yourself based on His report of you. No more, no less.

This God is our Friend

“For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide Even to death.” Psalms 48:14 NKJV

“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.”

John 15:15 NKJV

At crucial moments when you need a friend, conferring with God as friend might continue to look like an 'impassable gulf' until your heart gets acquainted with Him. 

When the heart is not intimate with God, it cant relate with Him as friend because in a deep sense of friendship, God is a stranger to that heart; and its typical of humans to be reserved towards strangers. 

The hearts of many precious saints are enstranged from God, hence the symptom manifest in the fact that human beings seem to be the only 'realistic' source of counsel for them in times of need.

Tests and trials have revealed time and again that a lot of believerss dont know God as friend; their view of best friend is only confined to relationship with humans. Even when they call God their best friend, they deny the claim in practice. 

While I do not undermine the importance of godly relationships among humans,  it suffices to affirm that, our God is a faithful and trustworthy friend, and No one is as tolerant as Him.

Constant fellowship with God in prayer and the word endears the heart to Him. Its in the course of such incessant communion with God that the heart progressively becomes 'aware' (conscious) of God as friend and even as all in all. At such point, sharing your burden with Him and seeking His counsel become the 'natural' thing to do;

He wont betray you, 

He will not backstab or backbite you,

He wont even make jest of you, 

your mistakes or weaknesses will not be a loop hole for attack when you offend Him, 

your private issues will now remain 'private' indeed because you are now walking with the most reliable confidant in heaven and earth as your friend. seen it?

Remember! (6)

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

(Ephesians 4:32 NKJV)

The sacrifice of Christ is the greatest expression of love and forgiveness; the love that offered the innocent for the guilty without reservation. 

As a believer, you must always remember in your relationship with people that you are a recipient/beneficiary of a great love you didn't deserve otherwise you will be guilty like that servant who was forgiven much and refused to forgive someone who owed him something little (Matt. 18:21-35)

You hold someone in unforgiveness  because  he keeps repeating the same 'fault'(may be he often speaks to you rudely) and you dislike him for it; but do you realise that by the standard of God's holiness and righteousness most of your attitude you explain away under the guise of 'innate weakness' is sin before God? and yet He put up with you in love. 

There is nothing anybody can do to you, no matter how bad, that could match what you have done to God. 

Before you create a hype around people's fault, remember how "...God in Christ forgave you” - you did not only deserve death, but you were doomed to eternal destruction before Jesus forgave you.

Having been forgiven so much, you can't have excuse for not forgiving others.

If you still hold people in unforgiveness, its either that you don't know the magnitude of God's love for you or you have forgotten it. got it?

Remember ! (4)

REMEMBER ! (4)
"I will [earnestly] recall the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will [earnestly] remember the wonders [You performed for our fathers] of old. I will meditate also upon all Your works and consider all Your [mighty] deeds". (Psalm 77:11-12 AMP )
Your faith will be strenghtened to handle present opposition if you will concentrate your thought on the past victories and miracles wrought by God.
The miraculous killing of Lion and Bear by David through the power of God became a strong basis for his faith and an indisputable premise for Goliath's downfall - David remembered...
"Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” Moreover David said, “The Lord , who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine...”  (1Samuel. 17:36-37).
You are doing a great damage to your faith when (in your thought) you dwell on the symptoms, severity of the circumstances, the likelihood of failure, the impending danger and the negative facts; you cannot be thinking on negative things and be in faith at the same time.
Instead of thinking about people that have lost their lives in similar circumstance or people who failed, why not think on people who have been helped by God and have come out life threatening situatuation unhurt.
Remember he parted the red sea and "So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were  a wall to them on their right hand and on their left."
(Exodus 14:22 NKJV ); remember He openned blind eyes, He raised the dead, the famine in Samaria turned to surplus overnight, the demon possessed were delivered, deaf ears were unstopped, the lame walked, He fed multitude with five loaves and on and on... and ultimately He died and rose again by the power of an indestructible life.
He has done many great things that will boost your faith if you will call them to mind.
Dont complain about your lack of faith anymore, rather settle down and contemplate His mighty deeds, and faith will rise in your heart like a giant. selah!

Remember ! (3)

REMEMBER ! (3)
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
(Psalms 103:3-5 NKJV)
Man was never created to be self dependent. The original divine design is for him to  be wholly dependent on God. Gratitude to God, thanksgiving and worship are part of the ways man is meant to express his reliance on God. Ingratitude is a symptom of pride and self-sufficiency (Acts 12:21-23).
Thats why you must not forget the goodness of God in your life. God is a good God and the heart must be taught and trained to always keep record of His goodness.
Never trivialise the goodness of God, nor take it for granted.  There are countless things to thank God for if you will take time to remember them.
I guess you need to sit down for a while and cast your mind back to the days gone by.  Remember the  kindness of God to you. Remember Jesus' sacrificial death, the narrow escape, the miraculous provision, the so-called incurable condition that He Healed you of; remember the safe journeys, the victories, His benevolence, mighty help and all.
Count them and recount them to God, sing Him songs of thanksgiving.
Remember and do not forget!

“in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
(I Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV)

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (II Corinthians 9:15 NKJV)

REMEMBER (2)

"You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led."
(I Corinthians 12:2 NKJV)
Paul was beginning his remarks about spiritual gifts by reminding the Corinthians that they had once been deceived into worshiping idols.
The design seems to be to remind them of their former miserable condition as idolaters, in order to make them appreciate their advantages as Christians.
You need to remember where and who you were before you met the Lord, when you were threading the path of destruction, when your heart is ladden with sin and guilt, having no hope and without God in the world, but God in His mercy sent His son in the likeness of men and with His mighty hand brought eternal salvation unto you.
Apostle Paul often refers Christians to their former condition, to excite in them gratitude for the mercies that God has conferred on them in the gospel.
You must remember the mighty intervention of God in your case when you were helepless, lest you are tempted to view it as something you could have done by your power or as one of those things. Your heart will be full of gratitude and it will make  you see the goodness of God in a clearer light.

Remember!

"Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel" (II Timothy 2:8 NKJV )
The redemptive work of Christ  is done and accomplished once but it has a continous effect till eternity. Healing and health, prosperity, sanctification, all round victory, justification, righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, are few of the gracious benefits of redemption; they are free gifts of grace which are paid for by the blood of Christ.
"being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus," Romans 3:24 NKJV.
As sure as the benefits are, a believer might not be enjoying them except he makes conscious effort to always remember what Christ has done to procure these benefits.
The believer must establish and maintain a sound reminder system that will keep the work of Christ bright in his memmory.
If you notice a "fading" benefit in your life, it is nnot becuase God withdraws it, "For the gifts and the calling of God are  irrevocable. "  Romans 11:29 NKJV; It might just be that your heart has lost touch with the work of Christ as recorded in His word.
I beseech you to latch on to God's word and let your heart be stirred up to remember what Christ has done for you.