My Experience as Youth Pastor

I have said recently, possibly here or in a comment on another blog, that one of my biggest struggles is pride. My wife will gladly admit that my ego makes Texas big look small most of the time. Suffice it to say that I can think highly of myself. My opinion is based on a true story. I am well read and blessed with many talents both intellectually and physically. This means I'm often right so I tend to assume I am right more often than not.

This is, of course, a problem. Pride is the most evil of all sins because it breeds all sin. God tends to keep me humble by allowing me to get to strutting just long enough to trip over my own feet. Over the years I've grown to the point that I am finally starting to try and control my pride.

This brings me to my current crisis of pride. I have been praised quite a bit lately and I have tried to keep in my head that I am only as successful as God makes me to be. Today, I made a comment over at SCL and someone commented that my comment was funnier than Jon's post. While I tend to disagree I felt my ego grow 3 sizes this day. Before I knew it I was strutting around with my monstrous ego. I think strutting is a way of walking while carrying a huge burden like an oversized ego.

Well, I saw what I was doing and decided to take a step back and evaluate myself. I am not all that and that is ok because God is. Of course now I'm feeling pretty proud at controlling my pride … vicious cycle.