Real Talk About Pride
Throughout my walk with Jesus, pride is the area of sin I have struggled most with. You could probably say the same thing. Here's why I can say that without knowing every detail about every person reading this blog right at this moment. It's because PRIDE is where humanity's decision to sin begins. Let's go back to the beginning...Why did Adam and Eve disobey God in the garden and eat from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil? It was because they wanted something (to be as smart as and as all-knowing as God) and believed they should have that something. Even though, God had already given them EVERYTHING they needed and told them to stay away from that dang tree.
But nope. They let their PRIDE get in the way and tempt them towards disobedience. They put their own limited understanding and selfishness ABOVE their love and honor for God and chose to sin instead of trusting Him and His wise instruction. They thought they could be smarter or as smart as God just as the serpent cunningly suggested.
THAT IS PRIDE. When we think of ourselves higher than we ought and disregard God's instruction to please our own selfish desires, whatever they may be. Pride will lead us to every sin known to man. And as God told humanity's firsts, "...for when you eat from it, you will certainly die", I will repeat the same sentiments. Pride leads to sin and sin leads to death. As Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goes before destruction." We've seen examples of this from the beginning of time and yet, we still allow pride to control how we live our lives. And even worse, many of us celebrate our pride that will most certainly lead us to destruction, if not here on earth, later in the eternal suffering reserved for those who are unrepentant of their sin. Simply said, PRIDE KILLS.
This is the truth of God's Word, though many don't want to believe it. And just like Adam and Eve, who allowed their own pride to tempt them into disobeying God's instruction, many of us do the same. How do we escape it? It's Holy Spirit that has the job description of leading us into all truth and conviction of the heart. I ask Holy Spirit regularly to show me the areas in my life where I am letting selfish pride take over and convict my heart of wrong-doing so that I can repent and choose righteousness over evil more effectively and consistently in my life.
There is so much more I could say during a month where instead of treating pride as the poison it is, it is embraced and celebrated. But I will close with this...
“For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:16-17 NIV
Invite Holy Spirit to convict your heart of the pride in your life. Follow up with asking God for forgiveness and make an intentional decision to turn away from whatever it is that He shows you. Lastly, ask God to strengthen you as you begin to walk the narrow road away from destruction and towards a more abundant life full of every bit of joy, peace, and eternal blessings Christ came to offer you.