"The Lenten Pilgrimage" - Day 15

Friday, March 5th 

     “For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

                                                                                                                           Luke 14:11

     To journey well to the cross during Lent, we must shed a bit of ourselves along the way.   Make a spiritual pilgrimage to the cross, and you will be reminded from time to time that there are things within you that quite simply just need to die.

     Unhealthy attitudes, long-held bitterness, feelings of entitlement or superiority, anger, prejudice, hatred, self-centered agendas and motives.

     And pride!

     Proverbs offers a good reminder:  “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.  It is better to be of a lowly spirit among the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud” (Proverbs 16:18-19). 

     The facade of any misplaced self-importance falls away whenever we measure ourselves against the holiness and righteousness of Christ.   If we do that, we will never have any occasion for boasting!

Prayer 

     Lord Jesus, forgive us for the times we have thought too highly of ourselves and too lowly 

     of our neighbor.  We confess our tendency to view the world through our distorted fallen 

     nature.  We wish we could say we've never deemed ourselves to be superior to others, 

     yet we cannot.  We wish we could say that we successfully discarded such damnable 

     attitudes long ago, but we realize we are still not immune to such foolishness.  Stir within

     us a humble heart in keeping with your example, that we may seek to serve rather than to

     be served.  Help us to live in such a way that others can see a reflection of you, in us.

     In your name we pray.  Amen.