Dear Family and Friends,

As you may recall, I ended last week’s message by suggesting we take the first step in overcoming pride – by committing to replace the false god that resides in our hearts with God. That false god being ourselves.

Before we dive into the next steps, let me share a story from my past.

As many of you know, I spent most of my career at a large CPA firm. Because of our size, we attracted and hired many top graduates from top schools. Graduates who, despite their academic success, were able to keep their egos under control.

All except for one  – a young man who constantly name dropped the prestigious college he attended, his grades, awards, etc. His relentless pursuit of adoration made work miserable for the rest of us.

That was until the day a few of us pointedly told him that he wasn’t as special as he considered himself to be. He left the lunchroom that day a broken man.

I’m ashamed to have been one of the assailants.

I regret that day but share this story to help us learn from my mistake.

This is NOT the way to help someone overcome pride. This was nothing more than a clash of egos. And the only thing accomplished that day was we broke someone’s self-esteem.

Let’s remember that we are the only ones who can replace the god who’s in our hearts. No one can do it for us.

So, how do we overcome pride?

The steps include:

1. Deepening our relationship with God. The Bible says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” James 4:8 NIV

2. Learning to speak with God as one speaks to a friend, just like Moses did. “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.”  ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭33‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

3. Doing good works with God and accomplishing things we never imagined we could ever do. 

These were the steps that made Moses the great yet humble leader of the Israelites. “(Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.).”  Numbers 12:3 NIV

To say Moses accomplished a lot would be a gross understatement. The Exodus, Mount Sinai and the Law, 40 year journey to the Promised Land all the while molding former slaves into the people of God.

So, what can we learn from Moses?

Moses lived in the formative years of the people of Israel. They had no book of God’s wisdom to rely on. We do!

Deepening our relationship with God begins with reading His word. And as you get to know Him, listen carefully for His voice.

God initiated the relationship with Moses that changed the world. (See Exodus 3:4)

Our God, who never changes, is calling out to us as well. Every time you hear God calling, practice answering Him.

And over time, you and He will converse as friends.

Did you know that the scriptures chronicling Moses’ life include over a hundred verses with the phrase – the Lord spoke to Moses?

Did you also notice that these verses can be found in four of the five books written by Moses (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy)?

Moses recorded his conversations with God and the resulting actions.

Before we truly trust someone, don’t we first evaluate their trustworthiness, observe and maybe even test them over a period of time?

Building trust in God is no different. We need to convince ourselves that He can be trusted. And for many of us gathering evidence of His trustworthiness can take awhile.

I don’t know about you but my memory is not like it once was. I find myself constantly retracing steps around the house because I cannot remember what…

Most of us have good memories of what we accomplish. But don’t we sometimes forget that we had help?

What I’m trying to say is: To give God full credit for what He’s done in our lives, maybe we need help remembering what He said and we did.

If you are not already doing so, record your conversations and experiences with the Lord in a diary. Start a diary memorializing God’s work in your life, starting with your past.

When you have finished recording your past, you will be amazed. But don’t stop there, keep going.

And when your list gets to a hundred, read it. You will not only be amazed, you will be humbled and God will be One residing in your heart.

In love always,