PRIDE PRECEDES
Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18 (NLT)
Pride is incredibly destructive. I don't think anyone would argue with that. After all, it's right there in the Bible. But what we may not recognize is the stealth nature of pride. Rarely does someone wake up and openly acknowledge that they are choosing arrogance. Pride creeps in over time. It's a slow journey of self-justification and selfish thinking.
It's my belief that pride is ultimately a violation of the first commandment. Do you remember what it is? "You must not have any other god but Me." (Exodus 20:3 NLT) When we allow pride to take the wheel, what we're doing is choosing ourselves over God. We're elevating ourselves to the throne in our hearts where only He should sit. Perhaps you think I'm overstating things, but I truly don't believe I am. Pride is simply idolatry in self-centered packaging. The late great Tim Keller says this about pride: Spiritual pride is the illusion that we are competent to run our own lives, achieve our own sense of self-worth, and find a purpose big enough to give us meaning in life without God.
If you're honest with yourself, you can probably look back at times in your life when you became puffed up with pride. You knew better than those around you. You knew better than God. So, you forged your own path. And I'd be willing to bet that the results were disastrous. It's possible that even now, you're recognizing that you're operating from a place of pride. So, what do you do?
Repent. Turn from your selfish ways and acknowledge Jesus not just as Savior for our afterlife but as Lord of our life here and now. If we fail to address the pride that creeps in, we're barreling towards a cliff we can't see. We don't know when we'll go careening off, but that end is inevitable.
APPLICATION: Humble yourself to ask God to reveal any area of your life where you are operating from a place of pride. Repent. Trust God instead of yourself. Commit to Him anew as Lord, not just Savior.
PRAYER: God, I ask that You would take my pride away. Grow my dependence on You, and help me see that I make a poor lord of my life. Help me to live in humility, fully dependent upon You. In Jesus' name, amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?