pride & vanity - the basics (according to me!!)

Introduction
I've mentioned pride & vanity (p&v) a few times during previous blogs but have never sought to try & do them justice. Clearly, that is actually impossible to do, but I'm about to have a better go than previously.

Having considered an overview of what I intend to cover in the next few posts, my desire is to be as honest as possible about my own pilgrimage & trust I don't upset or offend along the way.

During a recent lunchtime chat/analytical session, I was encouraged by a remarkable friend of mine to rejoice in the visible grace of God on my life & celebrate my journey to date. I intend to take this to heart but at the same time do not want to avoid confronting the demons of pride & vanity that lurk in my soul.

I've come to a belief that this month, including these posts should be (& therefore will be!!) the closing of a particular chapter in my life around these topics.

Overview
My current intent is to post 4 times. They may be longer than is my norm...

1) this is the first to lay some foundations

2) working title: pride & vanity - who's being uplifted

hoping that, at least in part, aspects of my journey are generic, I'd like to share an insight that is helping me come to terms with p&v

3) working title: pride & vanity - chasing it down

as with 2), this post will cover how I am intentionally working & therefore watching my p&v be transformed to Christlikeness

4) working title: pride & vanity - in practice

using Humility, True Greatness by C.J Mahaney as a guide, I'll conclude with some more practical reflections

Jonathan's Finding Happiness
Two additional books have greatly helped me to date in better acknowledging, understanding, embracing & dealing with p&v.

The first was Abba's Child by Brennan Manning which alerted me to what Manning refers to as the impostor - a shadow me I create to hide the real me & heighten my perceived chances of being liked!

Having been softened up, Finding Happiness by Abbot Christopher Jamison delivered some knock out blows.

The first amazingly useful thing Jamison does is to split pride from vanity (though I suffer from both). I believe that these days they are too often wrapped up together & 'just' tagged as pride.

Thereafter, a few quotes will further illuminate his thoughts far better than I could...

the final pair of the Eight Thoughts, however, is active in the spiritual dimension itself. These are the demons of the soul, vanity and pride, hidden from view and hard to detect

vanity becomes evident through attitudes such as complacency about our skills and qualities, sometimes combined with narcissism and self-admiration. It differs from pride because pride does not necessarily involve the desire for praise. Pride involves placing ourselves above others and ultimately placing ourselves above God

vanity is a demon of the soul, however, and so is overcome by generosity in the soul not in the body. A magnanimous soul is one that can affirm the true worth of self and of other people without needing to make special claims for oneself

if pride vanity is self-satisfaction, then pride is self-importance. The two often go together, but it is quite possible to have one without the other

Having meditated on these words & reflected on my own manifested p&v, I have come to the following working definitions...

pride - me wanting to be God

vanity - me wanting others to want me to be God

So, for now, I leave you at this point - hoping that; we've clarified that there is both pride &/or vanity to contend with, having an understanding that they aren't easy to detect & with definitions through which to view the ongoing 'conversation'.

The vain part of me (that wants you lot to regard me as perfect & Godlike!) would have me write all 4 posts, cross check them, make them interact well & then space the publication dates - I've quashed that part to publish one post at a time.

I'm (mostly) excited about grappling with some of the deep soul issues & trust you are likewise. As ever - I'd love for this to become interactive. BTW - if it hasn't become clear the title of this post is my version of humour - or it is?!

Jonathan