Once you have found your destiny in God, it is not difficult to get “puffed up”.  You may think you are the best at this ministry and deserve recognition for all your accomplishments.  Recognition is not a bad thing, but being prideful is.

The Bible tells us that, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)  Our ministry won’t be very effective if God is resisting what we are doing.  There is a vast difference between confidence and pride.  We should be confident in what we do.  We should appreciate and respect the talents God has given us.  But when we become boastful, that is another matter.  I remember when my church leadership began to see my gifting with teaching children.  I had already written one book and was teaching at a small Christian school. I knew I could teach children, and I knew I was good at it.

All I heard about was how good I was with children.  I began to resent these people and my gifting. I remember grumbling to God one day, “I love kids, but why do these people think that is the only thing I can do?  I don’t want to minster just to kids.”  His response was, “Yes, you can do other things, but this is where I want you and this is what you are best at.” I wasn’t thrilled with that answer.

I thought I wanted to teach at conferences and do seminars.  I had many speaking engagements after the release of my first book and it didn’t take me long to realize that I hated standing in front groups of grown up people.

As the years passed I did do many other types of ministry and I was good at some of them, but I always came back to the children.  Children give me strength and make me smile.  They say the cutest things and never hold a grudge.  They love learning and they have a huge faith level.  They can believe God for almost anything.  I can walk into my Sunday School class with all kinds of problems on my mind and pain in my body, but once those kids start to arrive and pass out hugs and kisses, I feel like a new person.  I don’t say this in a flippant way, they truly give me life.

In Proverbs 29:23 it says, “A man’s pride shall bring him low, but honor shall uphold the humble in the spirit.”  Let’s love our Creator.  Let’s love our gifts and talents? Let’s love our place of ministry.  But, let’s be mindful of the sin of pride.