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.
Bible in one year: 1st Chronicles
25-27, Proverbs 29:22-30:6
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