Not long ago, while a friend of mine was preaching in my place at Walnut HIll Church, I had somewhat of an epiphany.  I understood something that had been nagging at me for a long, long time, but that I had never before been able to express – even to myself.  I realized: We have it all wrong. We are using the wrong standard to measure our spiritual lives.  We need a new grid.

Too often, I am afraid, we gauge the Christian Life through a grid of Good vs. Bad, or of Right vs. Wrong.  The more serious of us may see that both ought to be wedded together.  But I am convinced that, while both of these grids have some value, the real grid that God fundamentally calls us to use is Humble vs. Proud.

Good vs. Bad gauges our behavior.   Right vs. Wrong evaluates our doctrine, or our Worldview.  But Humble vs. Proud reflects our heart – and that is where everything must begin. If we get that out of whack, everything else will be too.

“God opposes the proud but He gives grace to the humble.”