(Jude 1:16 NASB) - Vain Conceit

(Jude 1:16 NASB) "These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage."

I knew a guy once who, if I watched him long enough, would morph into any number of different persons, or so it seemed. If he was with someone who had conservative values, he was as conservative as they come. If he was conversing with someone who had more liberal tendencies, this guy looked and sounded like a tried-and-true liberal. If the other person wanted to grumble, this guy would jump right in.

It seemed this guy would pull from an appropriate list of values those that he needed to "fit in" with the person he was talking with. This was particularly the case with those persons he really wanted to impress.

If one happened to fall into the other category of people, though, that this guy was not interested in impressing, he or she was treated with a cold aloofness by this man.

He came to mind when I read the above scripture tonight because he seemed to fit every aspect of what Jude is pointing out above. Furthermore, this guy seemed to thrive in his career.............because he was good at saying what people wanted to hear.

What particularly unnerves me about this, though, is that at one point in my life, the same things could have been said about me. I'd flatter people...............come up with witty things to say that would try to impress..........tell whatever version of the truth I thought they wanted to hear. And my ego was enormous.

It's painful now to think of those times. And I pray daily that the Lord will quicken me if I even come close to losing my perspective and am drawn back into such deception.

It is going to be through my efforts to create and maintain an active relationship with the Lord that will keep me from walking off in that direction again. With His Help I'll walk in the ways He has set out for me. I know that I am nothing without Him.............I know there is nothing in me except vain conceit just waiting to grab a hold of me again and drag me into that former person I despise so much now.

Love in Jesus,

Jim

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"But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired." (1 Corinthians 12:18 NASB)

"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission."

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This devotional was originally posted on CCI-Devo - Daily Group Devotionals on September 26, 2004 in post #656. It was written by Jim Ross, a former United Pentecostal Church member, who attends Christian Challenge International, the sponsor of the devotional group. The devotional is the copyright of Jim Ross and is reprinted on this site by permission.

Page added July 30, 2005

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