Philippians 1:6

"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."

It's the third day of the new year. I'm pretty sure everyone is working on their new year's resolutions, getting into the new habits that they have set for themselves to achieve. It's still blowing my mind that 2013 has come. 2012 came and went, and it left with an impression that I will never forget. The seasons that God put me in throughout last year has chiseled me into a new creation that even still needs more chiseling to achieve the perfection that God so desires. Perfection hurts. I don't know if it's the fact of knowing that you're not perfect or the process of being perfected that hurts the most. At the end of 2012, I can say that it's both. I was in my prayer closet one day when God revealed to me the season that I was currently in; the season of growth. It wasn't until time passed, that I started to experience the growth that He had revealed to me. God started to chisel at the sins that I held so deep in my soul. So deep, that it was hidden from my sight, my own knowledge. He began to cause situations to happen where my character was challenged, and it showed my true self. 

Pride.

The one sin that every other is built upon. My pride was so engraved in my heart that it started to form layers. Layers of arrogance, envy, and bitterness. In the Bible, there is nothing good that comes from a prideful spirit.

Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 16:5

For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

Galatians 6:3

One thing about pride, which is why it is so dangerous, is that you often don't realize that you have it. I know I didn't. For a long time, I considered a prideful person to be one who was conceited. One who thought of themselves higher and better than all the rest. I was far from that; or so I thought. I soon realized that my pride issue started when I was instructed to do something by someone who was not God, my boss, or a spiritual mentor. I despised that with every part of me. That relates to my hate for being rebuked by someone that wasn't those three I just listed. I had this mindset that no one could tell me what to do or how to act if they did not have any kind of authority over me. Besides, who were they? 

Pride.

It can show through your conversations. Gossip is what reaps from it. Gossip was all through my conversations. I always had a strong opinion about someone and sadly, some of those people were close to me. We all know that scripture that tells us that death and life are in the power of the tongue, and my tongue had its share of speaking death over situations.

He is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions,

1 Timothy 6:4

I didn't realize that the gossip, the anger towards rebuke, and the refusal to accept authority, came from my own arrogance. The fact that I couldn't accept being rebuked and authority proved that I thought I didn't need it. The fact that I constantly had a judgment regarding what was going on in other people's lives, showed that I considered myself better than them. It was hard to come to that realization. Why? Because I thought I was okay. I wanted to be that perfect Christian. PRIDE.

When we come to Christ, we have to understand that we are broken people. We are in desperate need of a Savior to heal us and make us new. We are not these perfect individuals, quite frankly we are nothing. That's the first thing that has to happen before Christ can do any kind of work in us. That was what God was showing me through those situations. He had to put me through different challenges to show me my sin. To show me that I am broken. I am nothing compared to Him. I am in desperate need of Him.

I thank Him for that. If He did not chisel pride out of my heart, my relationship with Him, my family/friends, and even myself would have diminished. I pray that you will let Him chisel you. Open up your heart to receive what He is telling you and showing you. Praise Him through the trials and challenges that He puts you in this year. There is something good that is going to come out of it. He wants to make you into His image and that requires a little chiseling. Let Him work.

Going into the new year, I'm still in that season of growth. And honestly, I don't think I'm ever going to get out of it. God is still continuing to work on me, perfecting me into His masterpiece. I'm excited to see what things He has in store for His kingdom this year. I just pray that I'm a part of it. 

Happy New Year!

Joya