Galatians 6: 3
For if a man thinketh himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

Today has been an exercise to cleanse my heart and to excise sinful self-importance, where I demand things to go my way, where I must be pre-eminent, and I get upset when conditions thwart my designs.


When there are things that do not line up for me, I am upset, distraught, and thoroughly dissuaded from doing things right.

I have been thinking of myself as more spiritual than I was, and over these months the contents of my heart - filled to the brim with things like sinful self-glory and self-love - have been more and more exposed.
It seems that in human relationships, there are particular instances where I just want the comforts from a person who is wholly devoted to pleasing ME, and acquiescing to my wants, my schedule, my preferences. 

This is not the love of Christ. He bore those He loves with patient longsuffering, and gave all for their eternal good. But me, I insist on my good(s).

It took an uncommon and unnatural strength to decide to deal with a cloudy head and heart first, rather than the Saturday activities I determined for myself.

1 Timothy 1: 5
Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

(Paul writes to Timothy that the outcome of the Law is love and faith towards the Lord and to all men.)

But my heart has been unyielding, impure, and idolatrous, seeking to maneuver myself into being the worship centre. 

1 John 2:1 ... And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

This verse in the same line while pointing to the hope of our advocate who is seated at the right hand of God who intercedes for us (no need for any other intermediate such as Mary), also states that sin is possible for Christians, and that sin should be more and more of a rarity.

Christ has provided the means for us both to be forgiven, and also, to be able to live the Spirit-filled, Spirit-led life. (Ephesians 1:3)

If I do not live as though I have the Spirit of God, I will be in the flesh, which goads me to sin.

To never stop beholding Christ, else I would His love, kindness, holiness and rush to please myself.

Not to be self-absorbed, but to shed away the love of the self, and to put on the mind of Christ and the peace of God, to live life in the way He's exampled and equipped us to.