BEWARE
OF PRIDE
Memorise: Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit
before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18
Read: 1st Peter 5:5-6, 5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder.
Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for
God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6 Humble
yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due
time:
Bible in one year: 1st Chronicles 25-27, Proverbs
29:22-30:6
Our topic for today is a warning
to be very careful of pride. Pride is a giant killer that has turned many great
men and woman of God to mere casualties. Pride is the first and foremost of the
traditional seven deadly sins, perhaps because it is in many ways the root of
other sins. Even the “original sin” of Adam and Eve was not mere disobedience,
but at the heart of it was pride, quietly lurking in a corner. The fact that
Adam and Eve wanted to be like God, reveals a form of hidden pride. Ironically,
eating the forbidding fruit led to the opening of their eyes, increasing them
in knowledge and wisdom. It turned their attention away from God and they
became focused on their outward appearance. They immediately developed the
ability, confidence and independence to decide and act on their own without any
recourse to God their maker. This is the same fatal foolishness that has
plagued the human race ever since.
“And
when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to
the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit
thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”
Pride has been correctly
identified by many as the greatest woe which can quickly destroy anyone
captured by it.
I usually tell my children that apart from impure thoughts and
cravings of the body, another area in which you must exert your victory over
the flesh is pride. A proud person is always in contention – fighting with
those he thinks he is better than; such a fellow will do everything to show
that he is better than others. The proud is always in competition with those
who appear better off, just to prove a point that he or she is superior. In
doing this, the proud will make derogatory statements about such people and cut
them to size just to show that he knows it better or can do it better. The
proud finds it difficult to acknowledge the sincere work or effort of others
because he thinks such will displace him from being on top. The proud sees
himself as being number one in all things. Apart from contending with men, the
proud also contend s with God. Anyone who is proud or haughty and is speaking
so much about God is only a pretender. By reason of their contention with God,
they have enthroned themselves as number one in their own lives, making God
their running mate. Are you finding it difficult to recognize the efforts of
those that are better than you in certain areas? You are simply proud.
Psalms
73:6
says some people are compassed with pride. This implies that it is possible for
pride to be visibly glaring in the life of someone that is full of it. You can
be clothed in pride just as you can be clothed in humility. You can be clothed
in pride just as you can be clothed in humility. You can identify a proud
person from his or her looks, carriage, dressing, speech, behaviour, giving,
prayer, Christian service, work, attitude, etc. Unfortunately, Isaiah 13:11 says that the same reason
which makes the proud fellow haughty is the same reason that will make him
fall. Every proud individual is headed for a fall and proud people end up being
destroyed (Proverbs 16:18). Some
people are proud but they don’t know it. If you exalt yourself by your words
and conduct, you shall be abased (Matthew
23:12). James 4:6 speaks of
something quite frightening: it says God resists the proud which confirms that
God is always contending with the proud, is there pride in your heart? Ask God
to forgive and uproot every trace of pride from your life today.
Prayer point
Father, please remove the spirit of pride from my life this moment
in Jesus’ name.
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