Is it wrong to have pride in God?

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NathanCarson

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I have always struggled with my ego. My grandfather was such a narcissist he started a cult. It runs in my family. I was not raised in this, but the behavior still became passed on.

So my question is, in my daily walk as I grow and am pruned, is it wrong to have pride in God?

The root of it lies in this: I can not stop preaching/pushing the gospel. To the point that it’s almost got me killed. One day it might. I don’t really think that’s martydom. I feel it to be stupidity on my behalf. Especially since Christ died for my sins. I have no problem taking up my cross and following him, but I want to do it the right way. I’ve sought a vocation, maybe I need to seek harder. I don’t know.

Confused
 
When preaching about God is important that what you impart to others is love. Arguing, debating, and creating strife is not what Jesus came to do. He came to impart peace in our hearts. There is often a natural resistance to truth and this needs to be handled with care not violence. Some times you have to push people to where they are uncomfortable but it has to be balanced with a respect for a person’s free will. When you are preaching you must be longing for the good of the other person otherwise you are coming from your ego. Be firm and unwavering in the truth but most of all be kind, patient, compassionate, and listen to the need of the heart.

Preaching is “planting seeds.” These seeds may take 20 years to take root, so be patient. Do not expect immediate results, let the seeds germinate and grow in God’s timing. Love is the food that makes the seeds of faith grow.

If you are pushing people away and alienating them you might want to examine your approach. There will be those who push you away but your job is to keep reaching out to them and showing them that they are valuable.
 
I agree that if you are preaching the gospel in a way that might get you killed, you are definitely not following the strategy of St. Paul, at the least.

1 Cor 1:17-18
For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with the wisdom of human eloquence, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning. The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

What’s the answer? Preach with your life, and your attitude. “The kingdom” Jesus offers us is not just for after we die, but for here and now if we can be transformed in mind and heart, basically opening the door when the Lord knocks. How do you become a living Gospel? Of course receive the Eucharist, but definitely look into mystical writings such as St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross, and the Cloud of the Unknowing. Definitely (ccc2708) get involved with some form or other of contemplative prayer. In essence, go beyond religion as a way to “know things” and look at it as transformative. IOW, read the gospels and let them change you, without so much second-guessing as to what it means, which dilutes the message into the literal-only sense. This is the essence of the prayer form Lectio Divina – allowing God’s Word access to your heart, beyond your head’s “protection.” The head tries to protect the heart from hearing anything that makes no sense – but the Word of God is foolishness to the worldly mind.

I also fully endorse Lady Love’s comments:
Lady_Love said:
If you are pushing people away and alienating them you might want to examine your approach. There will be those who push you away but your job is to keep reaching out to them and showing them that they are valuable.
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About risk of getting killed – I assume that’s because you make yourself different than those you are trying to preach to, like they are the ones with a problem and you are here to fix them. Consider St, Paul’s strategy, which I call “chameleon” because he adapts to his environment so he won’t stand out, in order to “get in under the radar” and befriend those he’s trying to save. So the friendship comes first. It’s like the saying “people don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”

Reference for my last assertions: 1 Cor 9:19-23

Alan

[BIBLEDRB]1 Cor 9:19-23[/BIBLEDRB]
 
AlanFromWichita said:
How do you become a living Gospel?
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I love the term “living Gospel.”
AlanFromWichita said:
Consider St, Paul’s strategy, which I call “chameleon” because he adapts to his environment so he won’t stand out, in order to “get in under the radar” and befriend those he’s trying to save.
Click to expand...
I think of it as being an “undercover Christian” or like we are in a covert operation. I often speak verses of the bible to people without ever letting on that it is a scripture. Many people have prejudices and I try to sneak in “the message” covertly. Seeds get planted and they have no idea. It’s fun!
 
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