To Encourage You

Hebrews 13:18 “Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.”

What’s the difference between spiritual pride, which should be avoided at all costs, and spiritual humility, which is a mark of every truly godly person?  How should one view himself or herself along these lines? 

In the verse above we see that one such indication is in the nature of a person’s prayer life.  Prayer is a vital aspect of any Christian’s life.  But even in prayer, sinful tendencies can sneak in. Jesus gives us an example of this Matthew 18:10-12 with these words: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’”  This person measured himself by looking at others.  His prayer was simply a rehearsal of how much better he thought he was than the people around him, the “sinners” that were obviously so much worse than he was in his own eyes.  His prayer was not one of need, but of self-congratulation, confident that God would surely be impressed with how wonderful and religious he was. 

But Jesus condemned his self-exaltation and pride.  So how is that man’s prayer different than the one in the verse above, for doesn’t this man do much the same thing when he speaks to others of his “clear conscience.”  Well, one clear difference in the writer’s life was that his prayer request expressed his consciousness of need.  He wasn’t comparing himself with others as he evaluated himself. Rather, by referring to his conscience he speaks of that, which in the believer, is informed by the work of the Holy Spirit in his or her life.  That his conscience was “clear” was a good thing, yet the fact that he asks for prayer shows that his desire was to keep it that way. He goes on to say that his desire was to “act honorably in all things.”  To ask prayer for such a thing implies that to not do so was a very real possibility no matter what our conscience, at that very moment, might say.  His was a prayer of a longing to live more and more in a God-honoring way. He did not see himself as “having arrived” spiritually speaking.  He was honest with those he wrote to about the condition of his own conscience as well as his need for God’s help in living honorably in every way. 

So, what about you and what about me?  How do we see ourselves along these lines? If our conscience is clear concerning the matter of sin, are we proud about that fact, or do we acknowledge that we are ever-dependent on God’s help to continue to walk with Him? Do we long for this? Is it what our life is all about? Do we ask others to pray for such things, or are we too proud to ask?  Do we ask God to give us a good conscience, one that is sensitive to any sin against Him? 

Spiritual pride versus spiritual humility – there’s a clear difference. One honors ourself. The other honors the Lord. Which of these two desires is most important to us will make all the difference in life.