Confidence... or Pride?

Wrote this last night as a guest devotional for the website TDDM.org.

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"But He gives a greater grace.  Therefore it says, 'God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'  Submit therefore to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you." -James 4:6 (NASB)

Have you ever had to work with a person who was overconfident in their own abilities?  You know the type- those who shrug off your suggestions with, "Thanks for your opinion, but I'm perfectly capable of doing this on my own."  I must confess, I have sometimes been this way myself.  I am so sure of myself that I refuse to take the advice of those who are older and wiser, choosing instead to do things my way.  Often enough, the task will be completed to satisfaction; however, there are many times when my pride has led to mistakes and near-disasters.

When you are offered advice by someone more experienced than yourself, how do you respond to it?  Do you brush it off and proclaim your self-sufficiency?  Do you politely thank him or her, and then carry on without a second thought?  Or do you take their tidbit into consideration and try working it into your routine?  Which of those three categories you fall into says a lot about your level of self-confidence.  If you aren't willing to at least chew on the help others give you, it's a sign you've crossed the line between confidence and pride.

Now take this point of view and transfer it from the level of jobs or hobbies to the way you carry out your life every day- your attitude, your relationships, everything about you.  Throughout the Bible, God has given us an abundance of tidbits for living.  The first step is being aware of them, to which end there exists Bible studies, youth groups, and Sunday morning sermons.  The second step- one which can only result from a choice of the heart- is to have the humility to let your life be governed by the principles God has given us.  Ask yourself today, "Am I willing to follow my Father's advice, or do I carry out life as I please?"  Keep in mind that God knows infinitely more about life than you do, and knows exactly how each choice you make will play out!  With God's instruction manual for life at our fingertips, and a direct connection to Him only a prayer away, it could be only your pride that is keeping the fruit of the Spirit from showing up in your life.