The Graves of Ourselves

My devotion this morning was about spiritual pride.  It struck a chord in me that I can't quite place on the musical scale, perhaps because it is not what God wants for us.  Then I remembered a quote from a book called Witness by Whitaker Chambers I read long ago that I could not find this morning as I prepared to write.  The two are connected.  The quote stated that we must all go to the graves of ourselves at some point in our lives.  The main character in the book had just buried a brother and was waking up from communism.  He was standing at a physical grave and realized that he also must die to himself in order to embrace Christianity and the truth of who God is.  

There is such truth in that.  We all must die to ourselves and visit those graves regularly as a reminder not only of what we put to death in ourselves but of what God brings to life through it.  Spiritual pride is one of those graves in my life.  God had me visit that gravestone today and reminded me to continue to let spiritual pride die in me so that I could be more like Him.  I prayed this morning for relationships with non-believers so that I could share with them the only reason I have hope – Jesus Christ.  Honestly, it has been a while since I prayed that prayer.  I don't know that it was pride that caused me to not be purposeful, but Satan needs little more than neglect to cultivate ungodliness.  

That particular gravestone in my heart said "Do not forget."  I need not forget how poor in spirit I am with out God.  I need not forget what spiritual pride looks like in me and in others.  I need not forget that I have nothing to be prideful about.  I could repeat that over and over because God has done this work in me.  I simply must allow Him to do it.  Allow Him to remind me of the graves in myself.  Allow Him to show me what else needs to die.

It is hard to walk through the cemetery in our hearts.  The self stuff we must let die.  But we need not travel that way alone for Christ is always with us.  And on the other end is a garden full of life unimaginable bursting with goodness, kindness, faith, joy, love, patience, peace, long suffering, gentleness, self control, and hope.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there.  Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.  Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. Galatians 5:24-26