Confirmed Pride and Motive

When starting out on Chapter 4 of Human Wickedness, I read the opening quote. You can have no greater sign of confirmed pride than when you think you are humble enough. After reading this, I knew that this was going to be a chapter that would both be frightening yet exciting. I feel that this quote truly grasps the idea of our wickedness. I deal with this issue all the time. When you start thinking that you have accomplished a certain virtue, just thinking about it diminishes that accomplishment. These thoughts are very selfish and we are a very selfish world. Once we think we are good at something we no longer are good at it. This quote brings forth all ties of doing things for the wrong purposes. We do things for our self. However, when we try to redeem ourselves for our selfish purposes, this could be the wrong motivation as well, because are we redeeming ourselves for God or for our self, because we feel bad. Usually at this point I throw in the towel give up on receiving redemption, because I am not doing it for the right purposes. Is this right? Are we to keep trying or is giving up our true motive for receiving redemption? When we do ask for forgiveness are we doing it to say, "Hey God, Here I am. See these naughty things I have done? I am sorry. Please forgive me because I need to show you and everyone else how awesome I am for asking for forgiveness." Or are we saying, "Please forgive me because I need you. You gave me these rules to follow and here I am not listening. Guide me to follow and praise you." Or are we saying, Please forgive me, because if I ask for forgiveness, I will recieve praise and rewards from you." Our motive is truly the one that guides us. We may want to do one thing, but if we do not have the right intentions, we end up doing something not for God.