pride:a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.
St. Augustine: “pride is the love of one’s own excellence”

Pride is a problem when we hold such high esteem to what we have been doing, saying, believing that we can not hear the truth. In this sense, pride could be defined as a disagreement with the truth. We are prideful when we can not admit that we just may not know everything about everything.
change:.1.to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone: to change one’s name; to change one’s opinion; to change the course of history.
2.to transform or convert

We change because there is a need. To better ourselves, to move forward, to remove danger, or negative effects. We change when we realize, admit, that there is a need to do differently.  Sometimes we need to do differently because  choices and actions we have made are not working any longer, or have ever worked.

Why do we need to change? What do we need to change? Why change?

• We change from watching our favorite sitcom because the lack of morals just are not funny anymore.
• We change our minds,opinions when we realize it was a ‘bad’ idea
• We change our clocks twice a year because we want to be on time
• We change the amount of food we eat because we are getting rotund.
• We change churches because of apostasy.
• We change doctors because they are condescending and make no sense and we are still sick.
• We change the furniture around, there just HAS to be a better way.
• We change to eating all gluten free because we want to be healed of everything
• We change our long sleeves for short sleeves because it gets hot.
• We change those we hang around, so we don’t become like them.
• We change our underwear because, well, you know.

When we do not admit, realize, accept the truth, that a change is necessary, we will not move forward. Stagnant. Impotent. Pointless.

If the need for change is based on a previous choice going ‘wrong’, for many, it is hard to make that necessary change.  Being sick, having a disease, causes one to realize they are not invincible, that we are not in control.  This brings us back to pride.

Our pride keeps us ignorant. Our pride keeps us from change. Our pride keeps us unwell physically and emotionally. We don’t want to admit/realize that we actually have been making the wrong choices (from being misinformed or disregarding the truth) Our pride turns into a fear. Fear of the unknown(or not having known). Fear of failure. To admit you are FAT FAT FAT is admitting to eating wrong, not exercising, for a long time, it is admitting being out of control. To realize those we associate with, what ‘entertains’ us are depraved,  is to realize we too have some character flaws.  To accept that eating gluten is the cause for the stomach issues, or arthritis, or migraines, or infertility, or dementia, or psoriasis, etc, we have to admit the years of medication and our believing the doctors (mis)diagnosis has been for naught and we are diseased.

It seems illogical to stay doing wrong, feeling badly, hurting mentally and physically for making a bad choice, for being deceived, for being ignorant of the facts, for genetic flaws. But we do. We are afraid of something being wrong, whether if be our choices or ourselves. We are afraid of the truth.

courage1. the power or quality of dealing with or facing danger, fear, pain, etc
2. the courage of one’s convictions the confidence to act in accordance with one’s beliefs
3. take one’s courage in both hands to nerve oneself to perform an action4. mind; disposition; spirit

Courage is needed to overcome fear. Courage is needed to obtain knowledge.Courage is needed to accept the truth.  Courage is needed to believe. Courage is needed to change.

re·pent 1. To feel remorse, contrition, or self-reproach for what one has done or failed to do; be contrite.
2. To feel such regret for past conduct as to change one’s mind regarding it: repented of intemperate behavior.
3. To make a change for the better as a result of remorse or contrition for one’s sins.

How the heck did this turn into a sermon? Being gluten intolerant is not sinning. Celiac is not a sin. Being obese is not morally wrong. Working for a corrupt supervisor is not wrong. UNLESS you lie to yourself about it, don’t face the truth, and contribute to the ‘disease’.  Rebelling against the truth, is disobedience. Repenting is accepting you need to change, to be in ‘the right’.

You know the Israelites spent 40 years in the desert because they refused to repent. The did not want to change their way of thinking. They, too, had to change the bread that they ate, God gave them manna, for 40 years. It was nothing like their wheat filled/yeast filled bread. They did not like the change. They liked the bread, not the change. God removed them from slavery and was leading them and speaking to them and feeding them. Yet the Israelites continued to believe an illogical lie, their own minds, that they would be better off living the way they had grown accustom to, as slaves. God asked them to repent (change their way of thinking and dependence on man), to trust Him to provide. They were too afraid to admit they needed God. If they did,they would have to admit they made mistakes, they had believed wrong, their ‘bad’ times were from their own cause, that they could not control themselves. They rebelled, they did not have the courage to change.

Or did they? Do we? God told them over and over “Do not fear….”  God tells us Psalm 31:24
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.

We do possess the courage to overcome fear. We have the courage to change(repent). God would not ask something of us that is impossible to do.  To be courageous and fearful is within each of us. It is a choice which we choose. If we, fear to change, fear to see the truth, it is our pride, our high esteem of all we think we are and know, keeping us slaves.

Don’t be afraid to love the manna. Don’t be afraid to say no to wheat. Don’t be afraid to heal thyself. Those that tell you Celiac and gluten intolerance are a fad, or it doesn’t exist, or it is rare, or you should take a pill for it and just keep eating wheat…. They are cowards.