As Strong As We Are Honest

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"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."

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Philippians 2:3 ESV

So we all have to deal with pride, lust, and entitlement to some degree. Some more in one area than others. But to be able to deal with the weak areas of our life, we need to be able to name them. For me, it's mostly pride. But keep in mind, we are only as strong as we are honest.

Honestly, I cannot think of a man I know, or have known, who did not deal with at least one of these. In fact, most of us deal with all three.

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"For all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life, are not from the Father but are from the world."

1 John 2:16

John named the same battle we're still fighting today.

I believe dealing with these is not a "one and done" thing. We must continue to deal with them. Every time I think I've gotten control of my pride, it jumps out at me again. Lust is such a big part of our culture that it attacks us from all directions every day. And entitlement is a never-ending battle inside of us.

This is my take on the "Big Three." As long as we say they don't affect us, they will. Acting like they don't exist for us is simply an act of lying to ourselves. Acknowledging that we need help is our first step. Until we admit that we're vulnerable, we're just fooling ourselves.

It's interesting, isn't it? We become strong by admitting that we have a weakness. It's not about managing the temptations. It's about starting a consistent battle to eliminate them from our lives.

Be Nice. Grace Wins.

FMJ