Pride

Hey gang, I'm back from my hiatus.  At least for a post.  I've been reading some good stuff from the book "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis.  That man had some deep thoughts rolling around in his head. I'm glad he put them onto pen and paper though.  One chapter in particular took on pride as one of the hardest sins to recognize in your own life.  He gives the example of school teachers or parents appealing to kids to find the self discipline and strength within themselves to suppress sinful desires of lust, sloth, cheating, whatever the case may be. Upon conquering this "sin" by self will and determination they unwittingly harbor a sense of self pride that they can avoid sinning if they put their mind to it. What they have done in a sense is allow themselves to build up pride in their heart and distance themselves from a reliance on God.  What better way for Satan to gain a foothold in your life than to distance you from a reliance on God.  We know God does not want you to have any part of lust, sloth, cheating, etc... but he knows the only true way to defeat sin is trusting in his strength and power.  Now obviously there are other types of pride that I am not speaking to.  Pride in your country, or a family member, or even in a job well done.  Not what I'm talking about.  It is when you begin to think you can handle things on your own in a world where God is in control of your next breath, that Satan wins the battle.