VATIC Expressions
Truth, Transparency, Transformation
The Great Divide
by David Eagles
"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18
Today, more than ever, we're witnessing the power, and lack thereof, division creates. On scales both small and large, and platforms, whether minor or major, we see the unmistakable fingerprint division has left and continues to leave on, and in, our homes, our communities, our nation, our world, our church. But, isn't there a root to this? We see, feel, address and even attempt to attack the fruit division produces, but like anything buried beneath the surface, cutting the grass becomes simply a prelude to a return of the weed. What aren't we taking care of? How'd we end up so close, so accessible to each other, to knowledge, to information, and yet we're still so far apart?? Pride. It destroys and doesn't always have to be vocal to do so.
Pride is the monster that it is due in large part to the fact that it doesn't show up in the manner most believe it does or should. Being apparently “stuck-up” is one of the least effective ways for pride to work; you can see that coming and call it what it is. What we don't do, however, is associate things like fear with pride. Anger? Pride. Low self-esteem? Yep, pride. Apathy? The same. Perfectionism? You guessed it. Not being able, or willing, to apologize? Ehem... a little tea, please. Thanks.
Listen, marriages don't just break up and/or divide because of money, but because of the pride involved with one spouse making more than the other, or maybe one spouse feeling as though they do more than the other. Ministries don't just split and go their separate ways, but it's the pride that leads a pupil to believe they've become greater than the person God set them under to master certain things, to glean from. This nation, and the world, for that matter, aren't just divided because we live in and come from different areas, but because of the pride that says “You're different than I am, and I don't like that.” The Body of Christ isn't divided because God ordained it to be, but because of the religious pride that says we serve and follow God after this manner or that manner, whether they can prove it biblically or not. Creation, as a whole, is divided because of the pride that says there's more than one God you can serve, so rather than serve HIM, I'll serve them. Pride is always wrong.
One of the worst things about pride is that it prevents: it hinders healing, it hinders hoping, kills dreams and robs those in need of restoration. Pride also prevents prayer. What's one of the first things 2 Chronicles 7:14 requires for the change that we are desperately in need of? For us to HUMBLE ourselves. If prayer didn't require humility, we wouldn't bow our heads, our bodies, our spirits, our wills in reverence. But we won't humble ourselves, because pride grips us and tightens its hold, so that we'll continue to believe that we can change it in our own, or that we don't need to change at all. There are a number of things that God blesses, but there is one thing, in particular, that God commands a blessing in, and that's unity (Psalm133). Unity, more than people realize, is not something forged on the surface or in the natural, but in the supernatural, beneath what's seen. Unity can't be sustained and increased without a consistent and intentional effort from those involved to place and keep pride where it, along with sin, period, belongs: under our feet. If we attack what divides, we can attack the division itself, but as long as pride is present, destruction will be close by. This great divide leads to the great falling away; praise God we can do something to make sure we're not a part of either.
© 2015 David Eagles
February 11, 2016, Ricky at rickavessel@***.com said:
Response to the article
Real talk, unfortunately people are this way amongst God's people. Hope that we can get into the spirit of the bond of peace. Blessings bro. Love you.