Comments on: The Great Imposter http://www.beenthinking.org/2008/05/15/the-great-imposter/ with Mart De Haan and Friends Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:52:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: shezoe http://www.beenthinking.org/2008/05/15/the-great-imposter/#comment-1109 shezoe Thu, 22 May 2008 14:38:04 +0000 http://www.beenthinking.org/?p=156#comment-1109 i thought this was really good in it's own right but it also reminded me of something my daughter was telling me about from her time volunteerting with the Forest Service. In the forest is a parasite like this. It's a plant that shoots out pods into the trees. It attaches to the tree and takes ALL the trees resources for itself. The tree stops growing except for the place where the pod is living. So you have a sickly, stunted tree both above and below where the pod is at, but the area where the parasite is-is a ball of bushy, lush growth. It looks like the tree is flourishing in that one place but the tree is not flourishing. The parasite is. What else is interesting about this is what the parasite is. Mistletoe. Ya know the thing we put up all over at christmas. The one we kiss under? Makes me think of the meaning of the word "worship" as Jesus used it when he told satan "you will worship the Lord your God and Him only will you serve"-the literal translation is "to kiss towards". (One of the medicinal uses for mistletoe is as a narcotic that numbs) i thought this was really good in it’s own right
but it also reminded me of something my daughter was telling me about from her time volunteerting with the Forest Service. In the forest is a parasite like this. It’s a plant that shoots out pods into the trees. It attaches to the tree and takes ALL the trees resources for itself. The tree stops growing except for the place where the pod is living. So you have a sickly,
stunted tree both above and below where the pod is at, but the area where the parasite is-is a ball of bushy, lush growth. It looks like the tree is flourishing in that one place but the tree is not flourishing. The parasite is. What else is interesting about this is what the parasite is. Mistletoe. Ya know the thing we put up all over at christmas. The one we kiss under? Makes me think of the meaning of the word “worship” as Jesus used it when he told satan “you will worship the Lord your God and Him only will you serve”-the literal translation is “to kiss towards”. (One of the medicinal uses for mistletoe is as a narcotic that numbs)

]]> By: Hephzibah610 http://www.beenthinking.org/2008/05/15/the-great-imposter/#comment-1076 Hephzibah610 Tue, 20 May 2008 19:13:46 +0000 http://www.beenthinking.org/?p=156#comment-1076 In talking to a friend one day I had to laugh at myself on how quickly my "humility" could turn into pride...it is a constant battle. We were talking about how we weren't bound by the law and how such and such a church seemed to be stuck in "religion" ...when the light went on that the very thing I was speaking against (setting up a form of measuring someone) was the thing I was doing! Thank God.. He is able to save me from my own fleshly ways.....I think it is amazing that He is willing to take the likes of someone like me and glorify Himself! What an awesome God we serve! In talking to a friend one day I had to laugh at myself on how quickly my “humility” could turn into pride…it is a constant battle. We were talking about how we weren’t bound by the law and how such and such a church seemed to be stuck in “religion” …when the light went on that the very thing I was speaking against (setting up a form of measuring someone) was the thing I was doing!

Thank God.. He is able to save me from my own fleshly ways…..I think it is amazing that He is willing to take the likes of someone like me and glorify Himself! What an awesome God we serve!

]]> By: LisaG http://www.beenthinking.org/2008/05/15/the-great-imposter/#comment-1042 LisaG Sun, 18 May 2008 23:49:52 +0000 http://www.beenthinking.org/?p=156#comment-1042 All I can say to this one is...Thank you Jesus! How much I need you! Love, Agape Style LisaG All I can say to this one is…Thank you Jesus! How much I need you!

Love, Agape Style
LisaG

]]> By: hal.fshr http://www.beenthinking.org/2008/05/15/the-great-imposter/#comment-1011 hal.fshr Fri, 16 May 2008 12:07:59 +0000 http://www.beenthinking.org/?p=156#comment-1011 The article and blog responses have created lively discussion. The article takes the word "pride" and then adds these qualifiers to it: self defeating, wounded, fearful, uninhibited, self deceiving, procrastinating, uncaring, sulking, self introductory, self berating, pious, overly talkative, slacker, tearful, quiet and contrite. I wonder if each kind of pride is adequately defined. Maybe I am a bit simplistic, but it seems the biblical solution to pride is a mental attitude of adopting a self sacrificial servant attitude modeled by Christ and empowered in us by His Spirit: “ 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:3-11). The article and blog responses have created lively discussion. The article takes the word “pride” and then adds these qualifiers to it: self defeating, wounded, fearful, uninhibited, self deceiving, procrastinating, uncaring, sulking, self introductory, self berating, pious, overly talkative, slacker, tearful, quiet and contrite. I wonder if each kind of pride is adequately defined. Maybe I am a bit simplistic, but it seems the biblical solution to pride is a mental attitude of adopting a self sacrificial servant attitude modeled by Christ and empowered in us by His Spirit:

“ 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:3-11).

]]> By: dep7547 http://www.beenthinking.org/2008/05/15/the-great-imposter/#comment-1010 dep7547 Fri, 16 May 2008 12:01:54 +0000 http://www.beenthinking.org/?p=156#comment-1010 Rachel, I believe you summed up the process quite well! I assume that was the intent of Mart's list. If we cannot see every possible angle that pride comes in (we can even have pride in our humility) it teaches us to rely on God's grace even more. It is a lot like Paul's use of gardening to explain how the gospel is spread: Some sow, some water, but only God causes the growth. Likewise, Jesus explained how God has to prune the unfruitful branches of our lives. I suppose the only way to overcome is a combination of prayer, listening to what he tells us and being doers as well as listeners. Rachel, I believe you summed up the process quite well! I assume that was the intent of Mart’s list. If we cannot see every possible angle that pride comes in (we can even have pride in our humility) it teaches us to rely on God’s grace even more. It is a lot like Paul’s use of gardening to explain how the gospel is spread: Some sow, some water, but only God causes the growth. Likewise, Jesus explained how God has to prune the unfruitful branches of our lives. I suppose the only way to overcome is a combination of prayer, listening to what he tells us and being doers as well as listeners.

]]> By: Rachel http://www.beenthinking.org/2008/05/15/the-great-imposter/#comment-1009 Rachel Fri, 16 May 2008 08:56:23 +0000 http://www.beenthinking.org/?p=156#comment-1009 Wow.What a list of pride,all this list i beleive is just part of human life but now that you have opened my eyes to it by the power of THE HOLY SPIRIT working in you,how do i overcome?Because it is easy for some of it to come up naturaly like a thirst. Wow.What a list of pride,all this list i beleive is just part of human life but now that you have opened my eyes to it by the power of THE HOLY SPIRIT working in you,how do i overcome?Because it is easy for some of it to come up naturaly like a thirst.

]]> By: poohpity http://www.beenthinking.org/2008/05/15/the-great-imposter/#comment-1008 poohpity Fri, 16 May 2008 04:28:00 +0000 http://www.beenthinking.org/?p=156#comment-1008 Hey overcomer, Welcome we all overcome because it is not about us. Conviction keeps us at the foot of the cross and our hearts filled with joy as we gaze into the eyes of the savior, it is about Him. LOL that takes a load off of my shoulders. Hey overcomer,
Welcome we all overcome because it is not about us. Conviction keeps us at the foot of the cross and our hearts filled with joy as we gaze into the eyes of the savior, it is about Him. LOL that takes a load off of my shoulders.

]]> By: elena_william http://www.beenthinking.org/2008/05/15/the-great-imposter/#comment-1007 elena_william Fri, 16 May 2008 03:27:54 +0000 http://www.beenthinking.org/?p=156#comment-1007 Hello everyone Thank you all for your thoughts on Pride. It's really intimidating to think that our greatest enemy can live in our hearts like a parasite and feed on us. No wonder the Bible warns us countless times. But let's not worry. Instead,let's concentrate on filling our hearts and minds with the presence , knowledge and wisdom of Our Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. God, our Father has provided His infallible, limitless resources. All we need to do is activate them by opening our hearts and desiring His protection. We cannot combat pride by relying on ourselves but armed with the power of our risen Lord, we can. He has conquered death, can He not help us conquer Pride? Hello everyone
Thank you all for your thoughts on Pride. It’s really intimidating to think that our greatest enemy can live in our hearts like a parasite and feed on us. No wonder the Bible warns us countless times. But let’s not worry. Instead,let’s concentrate on filling our hearts and minds with the presence , knowledge and wisdom of Our Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. God, our Father has provided His infallible, limitless resources. All we need to do is activate them by opening our hearts and desiring His protection. We cannot combat pride by relying on ourselves but armed with the power of our risen Lord, we can. He has conquered death, can He not help us conquer Pride?

]]> By: kelvin http://www.beenthinking.org/2008/05/15/the-great-imposter/#comment-1004 kelvin Fri, 16 May 2008 02:21:59 +0000 http://www.beenthinking.org/?p=156#comment-1004 good evening everyone just got home went camping last night reading todays thought brings me to guard from pride or my sinful nature WE ARE SO A NEEDY PEOPLE BUT WHO HAVE A LOVING GOD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! good evening everyone just got home went camping last night reading todays thought brings me to guard from pride or my sinful nature WE ARE SO A NEEDY PEOPLE BUT WHO HAVE A LOVING GOD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

]]> By: dep7547 http://www.beenthinking.org/2008/05/15/the-great-imposter/#comment-1003 dep7547 Fri, 16 May 2008 00:41:37 +0000 http://www.beenthinking.org/?p=156#comment-1003 Wow! I have never really thought this deeply on the subject of pride--even though I have dedicated so much time in trying to escape it. In my comments yesterday, I was actually trying to end with a humorous view of how silly people can act when they are influenced by pride even though it is no laughing matter. In fact, I had hoped that it would have pointed towards the verse that shows how are are greatest wisdom is utter foolishness to God. Now I am hoping hoping that my comments were not so overbearing as to lead to a discussion that may have cost us from having another blogger. I realize that in having this thought, I have violated fifty percent of the varieties you listed and by typing it out, I have violated the other fifty percent. However, it does bring up some serious questions: If we were raised in God fearing families, is it wrong to reflect on the patriarchs of our personal faith if they set Godly examples for the rest of the family to follow? Is it too much pride in our ancestry if we try to model ourselves after them when we raise our own families? When I began my family nearly twenty years ago, a good friend warned me against the pride of life. To this day, I am not entirely sure of what all that entails--any suggestions? Wow! I have never really thought this deeply on the subject of pride–even though I have dedicated so much time in trying to escape it. In my comments yesterday, I was actually trying to end with a humorous view of how silly people can act when they are influenced by pride even though it is no laughing matter. In fact, I had hoped that it would have pointed towards the verse that shows how are are greatest wisdom is utter foolishness to God.

Now I am hoping hoping that my comments were not so overbearing as to lead to a discussion that may have cost us from having another blogger. I realize that in having this thought, I have violated fifty percent of the varieties you listed and by typing it out, I have violated the other fifty percent. However, it does bring up some serious questions:

If we were raised in God fearing families, is it wrong to reflect on the patriarchs of our personal faith if they set Godly examples for the rest of the family to follow? Is it too much pride in our ancestry if we try to model ourselves after them when we raise our own families? When I began my family nearly twenty years ago, a good friend warned me against the pride of life. To this day, I am not entirely sure of what all that entails–any suggestions?

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