Pride
Ever wondered why Satan hasn't waved the white flag yet? Even though he knows that he's going against an all-powerful God who can just turn him into nothing with just a mere thought? It's pride.
Yes, pride blinds all of us. In doing my ToK essay today on the topic of "We see and understand things not as they are but as we are", I realised that pride leads us further down that way. Pride blinds us to only seeing things from our own perspective and not God's perspective. Pride does not allow us to see objective truth.
Think about this, will you bite the hand that feeds you? Apparently, many of us do it. Look around us now, a lot of successful people have so much pride that they think they can do without God or religion. Think about it, who gives us the success in the first place? God!
When we do that, we are actuallyy behaving like the devil. When we refuse to acknowledge God for our successes, we are going against him.
Yes, that is where pride leads us.
Allow me to quote a particular website (http://www.believers.org/believe/bel147.htm), which quoted from the New King James Bible.
God Hates Pride God hates pride because He loves people -- and pride prevents people from receiving help from God.
PROVERBS 8:13 NKJ
13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.
AMOS 6:8 NKJ
8 The Lord God has sworn by Himself, the Lord God of hosts says: "I abhor the pride of Jacob, and hate his palaces; therefore I will deliver up the city and all that is in it."
Pride Is The Root Of All Sin Pride is the most serious, and the most subtle, sin. It often is not even recognized as existing.
Pride is the root of all sin. It causes us to turn away from God instead of turning to Him. All disobedience has pride as its root. All rebellion has pride behind it. All mistreatment of other people is caused by pride: someone putting their self and their feelings above the other person and their feelings.
Pride Is Evil MARK 7:20-23 NKJ
20 And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.
21 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 "thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
23 "All these evil things come from within and defile a man."
1 JOHN 2:16 NKJ
16 For all that is in the world -- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father but is of the world.
The world system promotes people who are proud, and often gives them great riches. God says pride is evil and defiles a man.
Pride Prevents People Receiving PSALM 10:4 NKJ
4 The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.
Pride causes people to go their own way instead of God's way. Pride makes you think you do not need God's advice or help.
JAMES 4:6 NKJ
6 . . ."God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
Only by faith in God can we receive God's blessings. Pride is faith in yourself. Faith in God is not faith in yourself.
Pride Causes People Trouble PROVERBS 11:2 NKJ
2 When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.
PROVERBS 16:18-19 NKJ
18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
PROVERBS 29:23 NKJ
23 A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.
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Ok I think by now you all should know that God hates pride. So how do you know if you are proud-hearted?
Allow me to quote the same website:
Manifestations Of Pride * Neglecting The Bible & Prayer
You may think you do not read the Bible more because you are so busy. The root problem is pride: you think you can make it without God's Word. Those who neglect prayer have the same root problem -- they think they can make it without God.
Pride and prayer are inverse. A proud person does not pray much, and a praying person is not bothered much with pride.
* Inability To Admit You Are Wrong
A proud person blames someone else -- the fault is never theirs! And, they refuse to admit anything they are doing could be a failure.
* Not Submitting To Authority
1 PETER 5:5 NKJ
5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
A proud person thinks they should do things their way, instead of going by what anyone else has to say.
* Know-it-all Attitude
1 CORINTHIANS 8:2 NKJ
2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know.
* Not Acting On God's Word
If we do not act on God's Word we are acting on the word of someone else, thereby placing ourselves above God.
An example of this is people who do not worship God with their tithe, and who neglect giving. While they may think they cannot afford it, their root problem is pride: thinking they can make it on their own.
* Criticizing Others
Anyone who criticizes another person considers they are superior to that person. They also think they are qualified to judge another human being (which they are not).
* Thinking You Are Better Than Others
You are not better than anyone -- just different in some ways. True, you may be superior to some people in some ways, but every one of them is superior to you in at least one way. Every one of them knows something you do not. And, there are many people superior to you in many ways.
1 CORINTHIANS 4:7 NKJ
7 For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you glory as if you had not received it?
* Being Overly Busy
Being overly busy can be a manifestation of being proud. Some people think they have to do everything themselves because no one else could do it as well -- that is pride -- and can certainly keep someone very busy. Continual busyness -- even in the ministry -- is usually a sign of pride.
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Again, I would quote the same website as to what causes pride
What Causes Pride?
These things invite, bring, or produce pride. But we do not have to receive it!
* Knowledge.
1 CORINTHIANS 8:1 NKJ
1 Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.
* Natural attributes: beauty, intelligence, talent.
EZEKIEL 28:17 NKJ
17 "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you.
* Prosperity or successful accomplishment.
1 TIMOTHY 6:17 NKJ
17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
* Spiritual power: supernatural miracles.
When God's power flows through you ministering to others, or God gives mighty answers to your prayers -- remember God is the Great One -- not you.
* Inexperience.
1 TIMOTHY 3:6 NKJ
6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
Pride is associated with being a novice. This implies that with experience people should be less susceptible to pride. It further implies people will fail a lot -- what else but failure could cure us of pride?
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So guys, are you guilty of being proud hearted?
Not to worry, it is never too late to repent.
Accept Jesus as your saviour and He will make miracles in your life happen. Follow His word and you will become a better person as you journey closer to God.
