WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN

 

Obadiah 1:4

 

"Though you soar aloft like an eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down, declares the Lord." ESV 

 

It is a tragic deception to think that material blessings are evidence of being favored and blessed by God. God's favor and disfavor are not measured by material things, success, failure, and tragedy. Those who are financially and socially acceptable tend to get focused on the blessings and become proud of their achievements. The Word states that pride come before a fall. No matter how blessed we are pride will cause us to fall. The more our Lord blesses us, the more we much walk in humility. If we don't, God will bring us down and humble us.

 

Lord, forgive us for being proud of and taking credit for the many things we have accomplished. Help us to always remember Who provided the blessing. We pray humbly that we would be aware of where we stand in comparison to You. In Your gracious name we pray, Amen.

©2008-2015

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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SWALLOW YOUR PRIDE!

 

Proverbs 13:10

 

"By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom." ESV 

 

If we insist that we have the answers, that we need no further information, that we know all there is to know, we are close minded and full of pride. We can have our own beliefs, but if we listen to those that we know to be full of Godly wisdom, we will gain more than we ever thought or imagined. We are never so wise that we don't need more of God's wisdom.

 

Heavenly Father, forgive us for being full of pride and believing we have all the answers. Help us to surround ourselves with Godly people who are full of Your wisdom, and to have the humility to accept the Truth You so long to reveal to us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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DON'T FORGET WHO THE REAL OWNER IS

 

Deuteronomy 6:11,12

 

"...and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery." ESV

 

We can become so comfortable in our earthly possessions and comforts that we forget about the fact that it all belongs to God. It is by His grace and mercy that we are able to experience it in our lives. Perhaps we need to keep our attitude in the right place when it comes to our possessions and prosperity. We don't want them to become so important that they blind us to whom it all belongs and who we really are in His eyes.

 

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the many blessings you have given us. We pray that You help us to keep from allowing these blessing to become more important than our relationship with You. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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HOLEY BUCKETS

 

Haggai 1:5,6

 

"Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes." ESV

 

The Lord gives us so many opportunities to be aware of our intentions and to examine ourselves. If we don't have a true, humble commitment to the Lord, the things we do for Him will be like putting water into a bucket full of holes. If we pat ourselves on the back when we do something good, that pat on the back is our reward. If we are dedicated to the Lord, what we do for Him is just second nature.

 

Heavenly Father, help us each day to examine our intentions, to be totally committed to You. Keep our hearts pure and humble in Your sight. In Jesus' name, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

 

Obadiah 1:3,4

 

"The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, 'who will bring me down to the ground?' Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down, declares the Lord." ESV

 

Some people have a very inflated view of themselves. In fact, some are so in love with themselves they believe they are seen by all others as wonderful and magnificent. They are so deceived by their pride that they believe they are above the laws of God and man. God will allow them to continue in their deception for a time, but will bring them to reality at some point. It would be wise for us to examine ourselves, be real about who we are, and keep ourselves from falling into this kind of evil pride. Yes, it can happen to any of us. We can fall from any level.

 

Heavenly Father, we ask that you would help us to examine ourselves honestly to keep a true perspective on who we really are, to see ourselves as You see us. Then we know You will be glorified through us. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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THE PRIDE SYNDROME

 

 

Romans 12:3

 

"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned." ESV

 

We can have pride and joy in those we love and cherish. This is a love great enough that we want others to share it with us. There is another kind of pride that God warns us about and it can destroy us. This sinful pride is an unrealistic, high opinion of one's own importance and superiority, whether it begins in one's own mind or in one's actions seen and known by others. If we have the fullness of the Spirit of the Lord within us, directing our thoughts and actions, we will never take credit for any good we do. But by faith, we will let it be known that without Him, we can do nothing.

 

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for allowing pride to enter our minds. Keep us from judging our worth on what we think we are and what we do. Help us to always compare ourselves to Jesus Christ and we will become friends with humility. We pray in the name of Jesus our Lord, Amen.

 

          

©2008-2013

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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DIRTY BATH WATER

 

 

2 Kings 5:9-12

"So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, 'Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.' But Naaman was angry and went away saying, 'Behold, I thought he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?' So he turned and went away in a rage." ESV

We all have our pride and dignity don't we? Whatever our station in life, there will be a time, if not already, when the Lord will tell us to do something that is so beneath what we ever thought He would. After all, there are more "acceptable" ways God could have chosen to answer our prayers. Many Christians react the same way Naaman did. Obedience to God is what gives Him pleasure and causes Him to lavish us with His blessings. Often times obedience requires humility.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for our human pride and believing we are above doing the things we need to do in order to obey Your Word. Open our spiritual eyes to see ourselves compared to Christ so that we will eagerly put on the cloak of humility. In Jesus' name, Amen.

         

©2008-2013

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

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ARROGANCE

 

Romans 11:18   "Do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you." ESV   It is human nature to become overly confident and proud when we learn new things from the Word and we begin to think we have great spiritual insight and maturity. We tend to walk with our heads held higher than others and notice how much less they know about God than we do. What arrogance! We cannot possibly know how mature and close to the Lord another person is. Nor can we think we have advanced far above those Christians in our circle of acquaintances. We are but grafted on branches that are totally dependent on the True Vine and live only by His grace. We cannot compare ourselves to others. If we remember to compare our spiritual status to that of Jesus Christ, the perfect holy One, we will find no reason to proud and arrogant.   Heavenly Father, forgive us for our pride and arrogance. Show us the root of this pride and give us the ability to get it out of our hearts. By Your grace, give us hearts of humility and love for all our brothers and sisters in Christ. Remind us that we cannot compare ourselves to others because that will result in pride. But help us to compare our lives to that of Christ so we will see how we truly are. In His name we pray, Amen.          ©2013 Daily Grace Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC drbobbijo@yahoo.com http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/ No Copyright Infringement Intended Personal Use Only

OTHER PEOPLE SIN, NOT ME!

 

Mark 14:29

"Peter declared 'Even if all fall away, I will not.'" NIV

"But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I." KJV

Could it be that we see ourselves as more strong and mature spiritually than we really are? Haven't we found ourselves in the middle of such a thing that we would never have thought we would be doing? It is so easy to get to a place where we believe we can stand strong through any trial or temptation, or we may find ourselves believing that our loyalty to Christ cannot be tainted. But, the Word of God tells us pride comes before a fall. If we walk our spiritual walk with humble hearts, we will be more aware of pitfalls and understand when we need to get on our knees for God's grace to get us through. None of us are in such a high place spiritually that we are immune to falling.

Heavenly Father, we stand in need of Your forgiveness for our pride and belief that we are far too spiritually mature to fall and sin. Search our hearts and help us to see just where we are and where we need to work on our weaknesses. Help us to understand that we can fall from any level and that staying in prayer and in Your Word will keep us growing and maturing as Christians. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

       

©2012

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

drbobbijo@yahoo.com

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

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WATCH OUT FOR THAT DROP OFF!!!

 

2 Corinthians 10:12

"So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" NIV

"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." KJV

Don't we all get a good sense of ourselves when we think we are doing well and our spiritual walk is strong? Actually, that is one of the most dangerous times for us as Christians. At those times, we tend to lose our humility and the reality that we have no strength at all, but the Lord's. The enemy loves to take advantage of these moments when we get off guard with thinking we are doing right well. We get a little too relaxed. Before we know it, we find ourselves at the edge of a cliff, the verge of temptation. If that doesn't get our attention, we will fall right off the edge. The Word warns us about this. If we remember that we only stand firm because our God is holding us up, we will be aware of just where the edge of the cliff is.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for those times we get proud of our spiritual walk and think we have it all together. Help us to keep on the cloak of humility, knowing You are our strength. Give us ongoing awareness of the cliff edges so that we can walk on solid ground by Your grace. We thank You for watching over us and we pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

drbobbijo@yahoo.com

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

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HARMONY

 

 

 

Romans 12:16

 

 

"Live in harmony with one another, Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited." NIV

 

 

"Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise In your own conceits." KJV

 

 

Because of pride, many groups and cliques exist that exclude people who are unlike them. This is not just in the world, but unfortunately, it is in the church as well. Every human being is born into this piece of eternity called time. We all live our lives with what we have been given. All of us are getting through this life the best way we can. How can we think we are better than anyone else? If it were not for the grace of God, we could be that homeless man on the sidewalk or that starving child in a poverty stricken country. Christ unifies us totally. If we are walking in the Spirit, we are living in harmony with all people who seek the True and Living God. And we show love to those who need Christ.

 

 

Heavenly Father, forgive us for our pride, our egos that we harbor even without thinking. Search our hearts and help us to get rid of pride. Help us to live in harmony with others and be living testimonies of Your love and grace. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

drbobbijo@yahoo.com

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

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MATERIAL WORLD

 

1 John 2:16

"For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world."NIV

"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."KJV

God created us with sensory systems, hormones, and egos so we could experience the world around us and glorify Him for the beautiful creation He made. After the fall, we no longer used these human things to long for our God, see all His beauty, and feel the contentment of being in His presence. Now it's the things of the world for which we long--the things we see, the things that make us feel good, and the things that make us look good. The world became our God. Praise be to God for the gift of His Son that got us back to where we needed to be--longing for Him.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for letting the world get more of us than we give to You. Living in the world makes it effortless to get caught up in wanting the things it has to offer. Give us zeal for the things of God and see the world for what it is, a wasting, lost, and sinful place. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

drbobbijo@yahoo.com

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

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PRIDE AND DECEIT

Some people have a very inflated view of themselves. In fact, these
people are deceived by their pride into thinking others see them in
the same way they see themselves. Their deceptive pride brings them
to places that make them feel they are above the rules and laws of both
God and man. God will allow them to continue in their delusion for a time, but will bring them to reality at some point. We really need to examine ourselves, be real about who we are, and keep ourselves from falling into deceptive pride. Yes, it can happen to any of us. We can fall from any level.

Heavenly Father, we ask that you help us to keep an honest and true view of ourselves, to see ourselves as you see us, so that we will bring glory to you, in Jesus' name.

Read Obadiah 1:3,4

"The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, 'Who can bring me down to the ground?' Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down, declares the Lord." (NIV)

"The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD." (KJV)

    
©2010

PRIDE VS HUMILITY

Pride results in an expectation of special treatment and privileges.
Shame and embarrassment result when these things do not occur
and the proud person is treated as common. The humble person
expects nothing and does not believe he is deserving of special
treatment or privileges. God honors the humble by lavishing them
with wisdom. Others will then show them with respect.

"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes
wisdom." (NIV)

"When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom." (KJV)