Your biggest hinderance to finding God or having a rich relationship with God- or even truly following Jesus- is not the devil,not your enemies,not money or the pleasures of the world. Your biggest problem, your worst enemy to living in harmony with God or fellow men is Pride. Pride in my opinion, is the deadliest of all sins. If all other sins are like blisters that slow or hinder your walk with Jesus- then pride is the surgeon's scalpel that actually amputates you!
Pride screams rebellion. Pride says-' I know better!'
Ever wondered what sin is most distasteful to God? Of course God hates and judges all sins equally- but there is one whose stench is even more nauseating in Gods nostrils than any other- pride!
See, the problem with pride is that it's a comparison. Pride says I am "better, smarter, richer" etc. It's a prejudice. If I am proud of being a good writer- the problem is not that I think that I am a good writer- the problem is that I "think" I am a better writer than you!
If your proud of your wealth- the problem is not that you can afford all the nice things you want- it's that you can buy "better" things than I can, it's that you have more zeros in your bank account than I do. Pride degrades others. Pride looks down on others. Pride is smug and self important- and that's what God really hates! This is because in God's eyes, we are all puny little helpless sinners!
Why do you think the first commandment is " Thou shalt have no other gods besides me?" God is making a statement. He is saying- " I am the ultimate". Therefore, idolizing anything or anyone else is the creature's attempt at standing up to it's creator and saying- " I don't need you- am good all by myself!" Not the wisest of moves!
Why do you think the first commandment is " Thou shalt have no other gods besides me?" God is making a statement. He is saying- " I am the ultimate". Therefore, idolizing anything or anyone else is the creature's attempt at standing up to it's creator and saying- " I don't need you- am good all by myself!" Not the wisest of moves!
See,the very word -God -denotes a standard higher than any other. Set apart. Above all the rest. He is the holiest, the greatest, the best, the supreme being. He is where the buck starts and stops. There is none other like Him. So any attempt to compare or raise anything else to His worth is a personal insult to who He is. No one is like God. He is in a class of His own. Anyone who dares mess with that clear line of protocol is asking for it!
The bible tells us that Satan was an angel in God's service before his rebellion. He was an arch angel. A leader of angels. Kind of like a commander in the army. Unfortunately,that was not good enough for Lucifer. He had to have more. His lust for power and glory originated from pride.He looked at himself and thought-"Look what I am! Now I will rise up and be even more glorious! I will take up God's position and I will be the ultimate-everything and everyone will bow to me!"
The bible tells us that Satan was an angel in God's service before his rebellion. He was an arch angel. A leader of angels. Kind of like a commander in the army. Unfortunately,that was not good enough for Lucifer. He had to have more. His lust for power and glory originated from pride.He looked at himself and thought-"Look what I am! Now I will rise up and be even more glorious! I will take up God's position and I will be the ultimate-everything and everyone will bow to me!"
A created being who decided he could over throw his creator! Pride blinded him to the fact that he was on the level of angels-created- and not God's-the creator.
The devil and angel Michael can have degrees of comparison (they are both created beings)- but God and satan have no basis for comparison argument or fight.
God outclasses anything and anyone infinitely!
So how does pride cause you problems? How does pride compromise your faith or walk with God?
So how does pride cause you problems? How does pride compromise your faith or walk with God?
Pride gives you stiff knees. Pride doesn't bend for no one. Pride won't let you admit your faults, weaknesses,insecurities or doubts. Pride says- "I got this."-When you don't really have anything in control. Pride will suggest that you can live life how you want because it's your life,right? Pride will suggest that you can break an addiction because it's "beneath you or unbecoming of you!" Pride will make you cause a scene at a restaurant if the waiter gets your order wrong- coz your standard wasn't met!
Remember- pride only seeks to insert distance and segregation- it never seeks to build bridges or unite. Pride brags -" I am up here and your down there!"
A honest atheist-one who has swallowed his pride- will admit that his unbelief is not lack of evidence for a God - but that he has chosen (read pride!) to ignore the evidence of a Supreme being.A honest atheist will admit that his rejection of faith is his unwillingness to bow to a higher power than himself. 'Why should I submit?' he asks. That statement reeks of pride!
Pride comes in various forms. The deadliest kind is the subtle kind ; the intentionally -unintentional pride! I call it the ' pride of humility'. C.S Lewis said that the best way to find out how proud you are is to monitor YOUR reaction to someone else's pride. If- for example-you think that the other guy at the meeting was so 'stuck up' and you don't understand why anybody got his ' conceited humor'- then you have got serious pride problems! Your just probably mad and envious that you weren't such a hit when you gave your presentation. See,at the heart of pride is an insatiable hunger for power. You wanted something that someone else got- you are hurt or disappointed that it was ultimately somebody else who got the, credit, praise,acknowledgment,power, control or influence that you had wanted for yourself.
So how does ' hidden pride' sabotage your faith?
Remember- pride only seeks to insert distance and segregation- it never seeks to build bridges or unite. Pride brags -" I am up here and your down there!"
A honest atheist-one who has swallowed his pride- will admit that his unbelief is not lack of evidence for a God - but that he has chosen (read pride!) to ignore the evidence of a Supreme being.A honest atheist will admit that his rejection of faith is his unwillingness to bow to a higher power than himself. 'Why should I submit?' he asks. That statement reeks of pride!
Pride comes in various forms. The deadliest kind is the subtle kind ; the intentionally -unintentional pride! I call it the ' pride of humility'. C.S Lewis said that the best way to find out how proud you are is to monitor YOUR reaction to someone else's pride. If- for example-you think that the other guy at the meeting was so 'stuck up' and you don't understand why anybody got his ' conceited humor'- then you have got serious pride problems! Your just probably mad and envious that you weren't such a hit when you gave your presentation. See,at the heart of pride is an insatiable hunger for power. You wanted something that someone else got- you are hurt or disappointed that it was ultimately somebody else who got the, credit, praise,acknowledgment,power, control or influence that you had wanted for yourself.
So how does ' hidden pride' sabotage your faith?
If I think I am a better Christian than you are because I don't fall for the same sins that you do, then I am conceited. If I think I am a better person than he is,because I have my whole life planned out while he doesn't - I have a problem with pride. Pride takes the focus from my faults to yours- I judge you while I exonerate myself. I put you on a scale without weighing myself first. I am acquitted but your not. Your the problem or part of the problem while I am not. You have a log in your eye while I have 20/20 vision.
The devil relishes in this kind of thinking- he encourages and spurs it on.
God on the other hand,detests and gags at this kind of outlook.
So how should we live with pride? You can't escape it. It's there. The moment you start thinking you don't have pride issues- that's when you should be the most concerned! Live very consciously of pride. Always nip it in the bud as soon as you identify it in your vicinity.
So how should we live with pride? You can't escape it. It's there. The moment you start thinking you don't have pride issues- that's when you should be the most concerned! Live very consciously of pride. Always nip it in the bud as soon as you identify it in your vicinity.
Don't get it mixed up- self confidence or 'being comfortable in your own skin' and pride are 2 different things- but sometimes the lines get blurry there too!
David the Psalmist and Israel's greatest human king, had a healthy perspective of pride- he asked "Who is man that you regard him Lord, he is but a worm!"
I don't know about you but being compared to a slimy slug is far from a compliment! If you don't see yourself as dirty and unworthy of Gods grace, love and mercy.... if you have no love, no compassion for fellow human beings and you readily look down your nose at them for whatever reason..... guess what?
You got the pride problem.BIG pride problem!
You must always be broken,undeserving and humbled in the presence of God. Any other status is conceited! Vain.
Remember, your heart is not big enough for your pride and God- one must rule, one MUST exit!
The devil is called the 'Father of lies'. That means he manufactures lies. He sits down and designs lies! He's an architect- an expert on building up lies. My theory is that the only reason the devil has not bowed down and repented before God is because He is conceited! He has cheated himself into believing he can still beat God. He still believes he can de-throne God. He still thinks that if he can sabotage the human race- which God loves so dearly- that if he can get enough 'rebellious sinners' around himself- then the ' gates of hell could prevail against God!' That he could actually defeat God! Can you believe that? ( but that's just my own theory!)
Poor devil-he's got that deep pride! Lies and pride are an ugly combination.
Remember, your heart is not big enough for your pride and God- one must rule, one MUST exit!
The devil is called the 'Father of lies'. That means he manufactures lies. He sits down and designs lies! He's an architect- an expert on building up lies. My theory is that the only reason the devil has not bowed down and repented before God is because He is conceited! He has cheated himself into believing he can still beat God. He still believes he can de-throne God. He still thinks that if he can sabotage the human race- which God loves so dearly- that if he can get enough 'rebellious sinners' around himself- then the ' gates of hell could prevail against God!' That he could actually defeat God! Can you believe that? ( but that's just my own theory!)
Poor devil-he's got that deep pride! Lies and pride are an ugly combination.
How do you stop the madness that ensues from such a deadly mix?
Remember, you cannot crush pride with a one time prayer marathon- you have to manage it- keep it in check as it were. With Jesus, all things are possible. You must choose to die to self- on a daily basis!
Satan moved from being an Arch-Angel to a devil- just like that. One second he was in the presence of God's glory,majesty and splendor with the name Lucifer, the next second, he had a new name and a very very sketchy reputation!
I think this quote by Rick Warren puts pride in perspective:
We aren't God and never will be. We are humans. It is when we try to be God that we end up most like Satan, who desired the same thing!
Remember, you cannot crush pride with a one time prayer marathon- you have to manage it- keep it in check as it were. With Jesus, all things are possible. You must choose to die to self- on a daily basis!
Satan moved from being an Arch-Angel to a devil- just like that. One second he was in the presence of God's glory,majesty and splendor with the name Lucifer, the next second, he had a new name and a very very sketchy reputation!
I think this quote by Rick Warren puts pride in perspective:
We aren't God and never will be. We are humans. It is when we try to be God that we end up most like Satan, who desired the same thing!
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