From one man God has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. He did this so they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring. (Acts 17:26-28)

Pride knows no boundaries. It will find any area of one's heart in which to grow. And when it grows, it will produce the deadliest fruit. Some people think they are better than others because of how they look (Pride of Face). Others find a reason for prideful attitudes in the fact that they own more or better material things than others (Pride of Lace). And today we look at the concept of exhibiting pride because of one's status or location in life. We can call this Pride of Place.

Most of us are competitive by nature, at least to some degree. One point of rivalry is found in where we were born, or where we live. It is good to find pleasure and joy in your location. God has created a wonderful world. We have often developed those places with arts and other attractions that bring a feeling of community and significance. There is nothing wrong with having a good sense of self-worth knowing that you come from a place with a great heritage. But pride, or exaggerated self esteem is not good.

People will often go from being glad about where they are from to being arrogant about themselves because of where they are from.  They then begin to look down on those who came from other places. They make fun of others, making disparaging remarks. They breed distrust and even various levels of hatred in the way they talk about others. Now some of this is joking, but much of it is not funny. It plants a seed in the minds of people that there is something wrong with certain people because of where they are from.

Pride of Place does not simply refer to region, state, or a certain side of the tracks. It can refer to a station or place in life. Some people have achieved a certain location in life and look down on others who never arrived at that place. It is not uncommon for those who have spent their life climbing the academic ranks to look down on those with little or no education... or even discounting those whose education is at the same level, but from a different university. Pride of Place can refer to a career status. It can pop up in relationship status. Remember, pride knows no boundaries. It doesn't care where it grows, only that it divides us from others, from ourselves, and from God.

We aren't better because of where we were born. We had absolutely nothing to do with where we were born. God caused us to be born in certain places. He moves us around. He gives us opportunities for education and finding our place in the world. And He doesn't do it so we will be prideful. If God caused you to be born in the south, it wasn't so you could disparage people from the north. If He caused you to be born in the north, it wasn't so you could make fun of people from the south. If you do exalt yourself or lower others based on such things, you are exhibiting Pride of Place. God put you where you are so you would find faith in Him, not fault in others.

Certainly for the Christian, who has obviously come to the best place of all in Christ, there is no place for such pride. We are here to delineate a way to Christ for people from every place, not drive a wedge between them and the Gospel. Not only is it important for us on a missional level, but it is also important as children are very impressionable. And they, upon hearing us put down those from other places can (and will) find their way to a place of pride.

Today, love people from every place. Imagine your life had you been born elsewhere. How would you want to be  treated if you were from another place. I've often found that the people we would look down upon are actually above us in many regards, because God gives grace to the lowly, no matter where they are from.

​"Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good reserve for the age to come, so that they may take hold of life that is real." 1 (Timothy 6:17-19)

Pride is basically exaggerated self-esteem. It is thinking more highly of oneself than they out to for some reason. And there are several sources of pride. None of them are good. And all of them are deceptive. 

Today we look at the problem of being prideful in one's material possessions.  We can call this Pride of Lace. The obvious correlation to this category would be clothing. But it goes beyond clothing to the things we have and use to make us feel superior to those with fewer things, or things of less value.

I remember as a child, I was always thankful for what I received, but I did feel a little inferior at times when I would get cool items later than my friends. For some reason I felt like they were better than me in some regard because they got a certain game system when it came out while I had to wait a year... or two. I don't actually recall any of my peers suggesting this was true. It was just a feeling. Sometimes they would have a certain name brand article of clothing, and I would not. Yep... a bit of inferiority would sneak in, to the point where I would try to get the knockoff brand of the same jacket... only to find out that the knockoff brand did not bring the same status. Part of this may have simply been a perception on my part, but there is certainly a sociological foundation for believing we can (and should) find personal worth in the things we own.

One would like to think that these feelings leave when we get out of high school. But they do not. Because materialism, or the idolatry of stuff, or the Pride of Lace is an extension of a broken humanity. This aspect of brokenness was not invented by the marketing industry that tries to sell you the idea that you are a better person if you wear, drive, eat, drink, play, or use their brand. No... they didn't invent it. They just exploit it. It is an insidious lie of the Devil that you can be more valuable because of what you buy. It is about as temporal a philosophy as one can have. Think about it. How can an immortal soul become more valuable by purchasing a manufactured item with money that has fluctuating value, and using it for a limited amount of time? 

Pride is empty. It promises true value but delivers decay. It is the nature of the beast. We were not created to find true personal value in what we own. It is twisted perspective to think that a human being who was created to be owned by God, could find greater individual value based on what they own. When we believe that we are greater because of what we have, we will find that what we have has us. And as it loses value, which it will, so will we. Depreciation is one of the hidden fees of Pride of Lace.

One of the dreams of many is to buy a brand new car. There is a smell... a feel... a quick high that comes with having something so expensive and new. It gives us a greater sense of ourselves. Yet it is perhaps the most powerful example of the emptiness of the promise associated with Pride of Lace. Let's say you walk onto a car lot and find your dream car... which is probably your dream car at that point... and possibly your dream car because it is owned by someone you admire. You purchase the car that has a value of $29,873. Within one minute of driving the car off of the lot, your car is worth $27,314. It still smells new, but it is worth $2,500 less because you have owned it for 60 seconds. Within one year, it is only worth $24,186. By the fifth year, your dream car is worth $12,069. Your car is worth less than half of what you paid for it. But now it smells like french fries and goldfish... the kind you eat, not the kind that swim. Think about those numbers. What is the greatest factor in the depreciation of your dream car? Your ownership. You drive it one mile, and it loses $2,500. That is very telling, isn't it?

And that's the way it is with any kind of materialism. When we try to find value in what we own, we are the biggest factor in that item not bringing true value. And we haven't even looked at the problems arising from looking down on others who do not have the material wealth we enjoy. Again, nobody wins with Pride of Lace. 

Material blessing is a gift from God. Material curse comes when we see God's blessing as our gift to ourselves, or when we begin to think of ourselves as greater because of things God gave to help us do better. Stuff seems to always get in the way of what matters most. It is an illusion. So we must keep our eyes on Jesus. He left the wealth of Heaven, had nothing on earth to call His own, yet gave everything to others. If God providing our needs is not enough to bolster a healthy sense of self worth, you can bet that buying the 'perfect' blouse, or latest phone, or fastest boat will not do the trick. 

Sometimes it isn't even the value of the clothing or stuff. It is the style. My daughter and I will watch older TV shows and movies. She often says things like, "Everybody back then had the same hairstyle," or "Everyone wore the same clothes." This is an interesting truth. Personal style was often in the way they carried themselves rather in the way they adorned themselves. They didn't try to express themselves with a t-shirt message printed in bulk at a factory halfway around the world then sold at a premium on a rack in a mall. Pride of Lace screams individualism while exhibiting the heard mentality. Even the 'grunge' or casual look can be an expression of Pride of Lace because it suggests that a style is the source of personal value.

These are basic human truths, but they should be especially faithful to keep the child of God in a right way of thinking. However, even Christians are tempted to idolize the favor of God by promoting what is called "Prosperity Doctrine" that is merely a 'Holy Pride of Lace'. God is a God of favor and blessing. He does take care of His children. But if you think for a minute that one's material wealth is in some way indicative of their faith, you are in a bad place. Just as there is no good ending for Pride of Lace in the sinner, neither can a Christian find hope in this form of pride... no matter how many verses they use to support the idea.

Read the original verse again, and ask God to deliver you from any thread of the Pride of Lace. Today, enjoy your material blessings. But do not make them your source, and do not seek them. Rather, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you." (Matthew 6:33)

Your beauty should not consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold ornaments or fine clothes. Instead it should consist of what is inside the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit which is very valuable in God's eyes. (1 Peter 3:3-4)

"Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

Pride is a killer. It takes no prisoners. It infects and destroys all in its path. It was the first of all sins... and began in Heaven of all places. Lucifer, who we now call Satan was once a beautiful angel... the most beautiful. But he allowed pride to enter and set up shop in his heart. He then revolted against God and took a third of the angels with him, eventually populating the realm of darkness and attacking the human race. All because of pride.

Pride is exaggerated self-esteem. It is born when we consider ourselves the source of that which is entirely a gift of God. There are several areas in our lives where pride can find a foothold. One of those areas is in how we look. We can call this "Pride of Face".

We live in a very visually focused culture. What we see is extremely powerful. The judgments we make based on visual perception are very strong. This means how we present ourselves consumes us. We have placed a premium on looks, beauty, attractiveness, and sexiness. There are entire industries that exist only to feed this pursuit of beauty. 

It would be an understatement to say that many find their personal value in their looks. There are some people who are naturally gorgeous. There are others who. with a little help from the makeup kit can appear gorgeous. Regardless of how the beauty comes, it is a snare. Some people think their physical beauty makes them more appealing as a human being. They even think attractiveness makes them better than other people. They have "Pride of Face". 

While everyone plays a role in this human phenomenon, the "Pride of Face" monster tends to find a place more in women than in men. I think most would agree that women are basically more attractive than men. God did good in that way. But with that God-gifted grace comes pressure. And the enemy knows this about us. So the Devil attacks people with natural attractiveness.

Generally the fashion and beauty industry searches for certain looks. They highlight these in their marketing. These faces... these looks then become popular, and even idolized by the culture. Some people will go to great lengths, including extreme surgeries to gain 'the look'. All of this is to reach a greater level of appreciation for ourselves as well as impress those around us. While beauty is from God, the idea that one is better because they are more beautiful is not of God.

"Pride of Face" is a very difficult thing to combat because it is always... well... in our face. It also carries deep pathologies for those who have it... as well as those who desire it. There is a great push to find our value in our looks. There is a great pressure to value people for their looks. We have to defeat this. It is dangerous and unholy. Ironically, with pride comes both arrogance, and depression.

There is no safe place in the human life for "Pride of Face." This is especially true in the life of a Christian. If you are naturally beautiful in the realm of physical looks, be glad and feel blessed. Enjoy it. But do not use it as a way to exalt yourself. Do not look down on others who do not have the same blessing. Do not be ashamed of beauty. Use it for good. But do not let it become a stronghold for the enemy. Remember, the most beautiful model is only one tragic accident away from being grossly disfigured. 

We can appreciate physical attractiveness. It is a gift from God. But we would also do well to remember that it can be, but should not be a source of pride in our lives. As with any natural thing, it can overshadow spiritual reality, and it has a shelf life. Physical beauty is both temporal and tempting. Or as the wise mentor said, "Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD will be praised." (Proverbs 31:30)

Don't feel bad because your are a natural knock-out. But don't let your natural beauty knock you out of God's place for you. Remain humble. Monitor your attention towards those things that appeal to "Pride of Face." How much time, talent, and treasure do you spend to achieve a look? How do you respond to people who are not naturally beautiful? 

Tomorrow we look at the "Pride of Lace".

"Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little." - 1 Peter 5:10

Have you ever made a mistake, and then while trying to fix the mistake you made another mistake... the latter being worse than the former? This happened to me this week. A couple of days ago I was posting my daily morning devotional when things went bad very quickly. I had forgotten to write a title. As I posted, I realized this. Then I created a new post with a title. But the untitled version was still on the site. I went to delete that post, but I deleted the entire blog. That may not seem like a big deal to you. But I have over 300 posts on this site. That represents a lot of time, thoughts, and effort. It is at least 250 hours. That is literally over 100 straight days of work.

Ok... so as soon as the entire site went away I said, "Oh no." I called myself dumb, stupid, idiot, etc. (I'm pretty hard on myself.) Anyway, I felt extra dumb because before I deleted the whole blog, a pop-up had asked me if I was sure I wanted to do that. I was in a hurry and clicked 'Yes.' Becky asked what happened. I looked around trying to find my site. Nothing. Empty pages. I started whimpering as I asked God to restore the devotionals. I just kept saying, "God, please don't let me lose all of that. Please save the work. Please restore it." I must have said that phrase 10 times. Then I hear Becky say, "I can see it. It is on my phone. Even the one you did this morning." I couldn't believe it.

It was there, but it was having some trouble. It would only pull it all up together. Each page would not come up on its own. I literally could have been satisfied with that, but I decided to ask for technical support to help me get it back as it was to begin with. They did that. It took them a day, but it is all back like it was. It is restored to its original condition.  And I am wiser.

This is what God does. He restores... actually to better than original condition. We mess things up real good... even going against the prompts asking us if we are CERTAIN we want to do this thing. Then when we do wrong, we think we have lost it for good. But God is a restoring God. He's just that merciful and gracious. As the apostle Peter says, "He restores, establishes, strengthens, and supports... after we have suffered a little."

But I do think He wants us to be wiser going forward. If I keep deleting my website, I waste the restorative nature of God's work. I wouldn't do that in the natural. I shouldn't do that in the spiritual realm.

​​I enjoy a good spiritual article. I gain something from a well written devotional. I like to be challenged and encouraged by the Biblical thoughts of others. But I also need to just receive the straight Word of God. It is good to be fed by mature Christians. But it is best when the Holy Spirit opens up the Scripture to me.

I actually enjoy writing these daily morning devotionals. But I want to encourage you to read the Bible on its own, without commentary and let the author, God reveal to you what you need to know. You may wonder how to get started. Well, the book of Proverbs (which means 'wise sayings') has 31 chapters. That means there is basically one group of wise saying for each day. You can probably read one chapter in about 3 minutes depending on your reading ability and if you get hung up on certain verses. 

This is September 14. Here is Proverbs chapter 14.

1 A wise woman builds her home,
    but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.
2 Those who follow the right path fear the Lord;
    those who take the wrong path despise him.
3 A fool’s proud talk becomes a rod that beats him,
    but the words of the wise keep them safe.
4 Without oxen a stable stays clean,
    but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.
5 An honest witness does not lie;
    a false witness breathes lies.
6 A mocker seeks wisdom and never finds it,
    but knowledge comes easily to those with understanding.
7 Stay away from fools,
    for you won’t find knowledge on their lips.
8 The prudent understand where they are going,
    but fools deceive themselves.
9 Fools make fun of guilt,
    but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.
10 Each heart knows its own bitterness,
    and no one else can fully share its joy.
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
    but the tent of the godly will flourish.
12 There is a path before each person that seems right,
    but it ends in death.
13 Laughter can conceal a heavy heart,
    but when the laughter ends, the grief remains.
14 Backsliders get what they deserve;
    good people receive their reward.
15 Only simpletons believe everything they’re told!
    The prudent carefully consider their steps.
16 The wise are cautious and avoid danger;
    fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence.
17 Short-tempered people do foolish things,
    and schemers are hated.
18 Simpletons are clothed with foolishness,
    but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 Evil people will bow before good people;
    the wicked will bow at the gates of the godly.
20 The poor are despised even by their neighbors,
    while the rich have many “friends.”
21 It is a sin to belittle one’s neighbor;
    blessed are those who help the poor.
22 If you plan to do evil, you will be lost;
    if you plan to do good, you will receive unfailing love and faithfulness.
23 Work brings profit,
    but mere talk leads to poverty!
24 Wealth is a crown for the wise;
    the effort of fools yields only foolishness.
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
    but a false witness is a traitor.
26 Those who fear the Lord are secure;
    he will be a refuge for their children.
27 Fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain;
    it offers escape from the snares of death.
28 A growing population is a king’s glory;
    a prince without subjects has nothing.
29 People with understanding control their anger;
    a hot temper shows great foolishness.
30 A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body;
    jealousy is like cancer in the bones.
31 Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker,
    but helping the poor honors him.
32 The wicked are crushed by disaster,
    but the godly have a refuge when they die.
33 Wisdom is enshrined in an understanding heart;
    wisdom is not found among fools.
34 Godliness makes a nation great,
    but sin is a disgrace to any people.
35 A king rejoices in wise servants
    but is angry with those who disgrace him.

​[New Living Translation]

I know... that covers a lot of areas. Did a certain phrase stand out to you? Go back to it and dwell on it. Ask God what He is trying to tell you through it. Ask Him to reveal how you can apply it to your life today.

Now, why don't you copy and paste it to your Facebook and comment on what it means to your life? In this way you will be not only learning from Scripture, but you will be sharing the Word of God with others.

Now this part may seem a little weird, but if you enjoyed reading all of that wisdom straight away, perhaps you should make that your morning devotional practice instead of reading what I write. Tomorrow you could read Proverbs 15, the next day the 16th chapter, and so on. Am I suggesting you stop reading what I write? Well, if you exchange reading my words about the Bible for reading the Bible itself, I'm absolutely cool with that. The goal here is to encourage and challenge you in the things of God. No better place to do that than with God's own words.