Adam and Eve were guilty of the sin of “I” in the Garden of Eden. They were in a perfect setting but it wasn’t good enough. The forbidden fruit looked so appealing, so enticing that it negated everything that God had told them. They chose to take it and eat it. They chose to listen to the serpent instead of God. Their conversation afterward with God was filled with “I”. Adam: “I was afraid……I hid…..I ate it….” and that was the same for Eve….”I ate.” But before we’re too hard on Adam and Eve….they weren’t the only ones with an “I” problem. In Judges 14:2 the mighty Samson told his father “I have seen (an additional “eye” problem here) a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.” We shouldn’t be surprised at the power of “I” as long as we consider ourselves the most important person on this planet.
Our society is filled with “I” excuses. We run up the balances on our credit cards because “I want it….” We get divorces because “I’m not happy.” We shirk church because “I can worship wherever I want.” We blame our behavior on others or other things because “I don’t have any control over it….” So what causes the “I” to take a stronghold in our life? Pride! Or should I say prIde with the self-centered I? “I” is smack dab in the middle of the word pride…and I don’t believe that this is coincidental.
Take the challenge of listening to your speech. How many times does the word “I” permeate your conversation? On the flip side, how many times do you use the words, they, them, he, she, you….
Remember that prIde is focused on “I” but JesUs is focused on U!
Adopted Through Grace 