Oswald Chambers on Being Alone with God

"...We have to get rid of the idea that we understand ourselves; it is the last conceit to go.  The only One Who understands us is God.  The greatest curse in spiritual life is conceit.  If we have ever had a glimpse of what we are like in the sight of God, we shall never say, 'Oh, I am so unworthy," because we shall know we are beyond the possibility of stating it.  As long as we are not quite sure that we are unworthy, God will keep narrowing us in until He gets us alone.  Wherever there is any element of pride or of conceit, Jesus cannot expound a thing.  He will take us through the disappointment of a wounded pride of intellect, through disappointment of heart..." ---My Utmost for His Highest

Sin is all around me: on the news, in my family and friends and enemies ... in me.  Maybe it's just me, or maybe everyone rates themselves according to their sins and I tend to say I'm not so bad.  It's astounding how ignorant we are about ourselves.  The "smallest" sins are not small in the eyes of a righteous God.  And, but for His grace, we may find ourselves in the midst of those "big" sins.  I really want to get to the point where I am beyond the possibility of stating, "Oh, I am so unworthy," and then truly know God and truly be used of God.  Twenty years from now I don't want my kids to say mom had it all together.  I want them to say, mom daily depended on the Lord and sought Him out of necessity and raised us to do the same.  I don't want them to preach the gospel, I want them to live the gospel.  I want to protect them and teach them to guard their hearts against the "big" sins, but be just as sensitive and broken over the "little" ones.  I think it may be true that the best moms don't "have it all together."  The best moms are broken before the Lord.  The best moms need help every day.