A Root of My Life...

It all started off as a innocent conversation with my good friend Josh Segalla and it ended up being one of the biggest spiritual learning moments of my life.
We were simply catching up on life and hearing about how each others summers had gone and then somewhere amidst all the small talk our conversation switched over to this deep thought (which is actually a thought by a theologian who lived a long time ago) that pride is the root of all evil and sin.
I'll repeat that...  

Pride is the root of evil and sin.

It sounds like this simple concept and idea. In fact, it may be a no brainier for those of us in Bible college.
You're probably actually thinking "Joe! why is this your big learning moment?"
Because it started to dawn on me through our conversation that my whole life has been built upon pride... and not just any pride...it has been my own pride...
The Bible says that our good deeds are seen as filthy rags in God's eyes (Isaiah 64:6) and I wonder if all of my "good deeds" have been the offspring of my pride...
I've been starting to question myself and everything I do...

Do I do good things for others because I love God so much and it's a service I want to do because I love God first?
Or, do I do good things for others because I want to feel better about myself?
Or, just because I know it's the right thing to do? Or, because I think if I don't then I am a bad Christian?

I also started questioning my relationship with God...has that been based on pride this whole time? Do I pray to God because I want something out of it?
Because I want to feel better about my day?
Because I just want to check it off my list of things to do each day?
Or, do I pray because I love God so much that I can't help but talk to Him?
I can't help but listen to Him?
Do I read my Bible because I want to find something for my own personal gain?
Or, because I love God so much that I can't help but soak in His words?

These are just questions that have been running through my mind
...and I'm just being transparent...
I don't feel that I wrote this post out of pride...
I'm not trying to gain anything from this, but I hope to simply pass this on to others and get believers thinking about their motives...

Joe