When one sees the words “pride” and “humility” in the same sentence, one has to wonder how each of these can see eye to eye with the other. Pride in this case is that emotion an individual feels when something is accomplished to such a degree that pleasure is taken in the work involved to make that accomplishment happen. It is also akin to self-righteousness and arrogance; it’s what makes man want to stand tall and stare haughtily at those he deems beneath him. Humility, on the other hand, is everything “self” pride is not; honor where honor is due, not always eager to grab the spotlight, and when the humble man finds himself in the limelight anyway, he doesn’t let it go to his head. And let’s not get humility mixed up with insecurity here.

I have experienced both “self” pride and humility many times as a Christian, and neither is easy to handle. A stab of humility usually wants to give way to pride, and pride - eh, well, it’s not an easy “high” to come down from, especially when things, people and events keep adding fuel to the fire. I lose sight of what I’m supposed to be doing and focus on what I want to do. I want to reach this goal, even if God has something better for me. I want this object, even though God may want to bless me with something bigger and better. I like where I am, even though God may want me to move on.

Combine this struggle of me vs. God with real life and I wonder what an outside observer would think. “Hey, wow, she’s not some perfect religious fundamentalist after all!” or “What in the world is she sniffin’?” or “Why is she so freakin’ moody all the time?”

Trying to be real - to be me, not someone everyone else BUT me myself and I would recognize - while trying to keep my faith in Christ intact in a world that’s tired of fake Christians is not easy. I have to keep proving to others that my Christianity is real, but why should I bother?

It’s not even about ME.

Proverbs, written by the wisest man that ever lived, tells us how to be a man. Four books show Jesus; how he lived, why He came, and what he felt was worth dying for. If it’s worth dying for, it’s likely worth living for. Incidentally, I’d love for you and every other young man to read 15 minutes a day in Proverbs and apply it. If you look at Christianity through the eyeglass of postmodern secular ethos (reheated existentialism) you’ll conclude some devastatingly wrong things. First, me being authentic is the aim of life. It isn’t. Second, what I think, feel and believe is the CENTER of the universe and my ideas are the ultimate arbiter of truth, reality and the American way is way off target. Jesus said in Lk 10:27, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” The focus of Christianity is God and others. “Me” got lost. Life isn’t about me. Today we remember that Jesus, the God/man was in the grave. But it didn’t end there, thank God. Easter’s a comin’. The real challenge, in my opinion, of a Christian’s blog is to help people know God. Everything in an authentic Christian’s life is to help others know God.

- Proud Gator Dad
“This is me” comments thread

It’s not supposed to be about ME…and yet it always ends up that way. It’s only because of God’s constant refining that the whining, selfish ME slowly withers, and the person I was called by his grace to be, garbed in his mantle of humility, shines forth.