Impostor to Impeccable

Pride is the seat of the heart.

Do not be a graduate from the 'Hall of Pride’. Graduate from the ‘School of Humility.’

In the context of this article, I have a question: 

Announcing to others what you do with whomever, does it make God look good or yourself? Since God is no respecter of persons, He has no favorites and is not impressed with your social agenda.

Social status is a position of pride. It can very beneficial. However, we do not have the discernment to ever commend or condemn a person accurately.

“Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.” Proverbs 16:5

Unfortunately, I know this to be true in my own life.

Try this as your litmus test. When God provides a “wow” factor, keep it to yourself. Simply seal your lips and give everyone an authentic smile.

Pride is a protean; it changes its shape; it is all forms in the world; you may find it in any fashion you may choose. You may see it in the beggar's rags as well as in the rich man's garments. It dwells with rich and poor alike. The man without a shoe to his foot may be as proud as if he were riding in a chariot. We find pride in every rank of society—among all classes of men and women.

This is an old parable in the form of an eastern story. It will set this truth in its proper light.

In his wanderings, a wise man in the east called a dervish, came to a mountain, and saw beneath his feet a smiling valley. A river flowed in the midst. The sun was shining on the stream and the water as it reflected the sunlight looked pure and beautiful. As he descended, he found it was muddy and unfit for drinking. He was in a bad way. Then he saw a young man in the dress of a shepherd, diligently filtering the water for his flocks. At one moment, he placed some water into a pitcher and allowing this to stand. Then, after it had settled, he poured the clean fluid into a cistern. Further, down the stream I saw him turning aside the current for a little and letting it ripple over the sand and stones filtering the impurities away.

The dervish watched the young man endeavoring to fill a large cistern with clear water and he said to him, "My son, why all this toil?—what is the purpose?" The young man replied, "Father, I am a shepherd; this water is so filthy that my flock will not drink from it and therefore, I am obliged to purify it little by little. I collect enough in this way that they may drink but it is hard work." He wiped the sweat from his brow, exhausted from his toil.

"You have labored well," said the wise man, "Do you realize your hard work is not to your best advantage? You might attain a better end with half the labor. I conceive that the source of this stream must be impure and polluted; let us take a pilgrimage together and see."

They walked some miles, climbing their way over many a rock until they came to a spot where the stream took its rise. When they came near to it, they saw flocks of wild fowls flying away and wild beasts rushing into the forest. They had come to drink and soiled the water with their dirty feet. They came to an open well, which kept continually flowing. However, the fowls and beasts perpetually disturbed it and the stream was continually turbid and muddy.

"My son," said the wise man, "set to work now to protect the fountain and guard the well which is the source of this stream; and when you are finished, if you can keep these wild beasts and fowls away, the stream will flow of itself.  You will no longer need to toil because the water will be pure and clear."

The young man did it and as he labored, the wise man said to him, "My son, hear the word of wisdom; if thou art wrong, seek not to correct your outward life, but seek first to correct your heart; for out of it are the issues of life, and your life shall be pure once your heart is so." 

Make the tree good, and then the fruit shall be good; make the fountain pure, and the stream shall be sweet.

Authentic Christian ladies are those who have a regular echo-cardiogram. They are women with signals:

✔ They do more for others
✔ Say less to others
✔ Have a heart full of love toward others
✔ Have a heart full of gratitude toward God

If your life has a different beat, please open the door and sweep Mrs. Pride on her way. She is the impostor.

Until next time, it took losing all the props in my own life to uncover the pride that existed in my heart. Learn from the wisdom of those who have graduated from the 'School of Hard Knocks.'

Deborah Choma

Corporate Trainer | Conference Speaker

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