and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18
Please understand, each and every one of us want to feel as if we are of some value--we need a sense of self-worth. However, we need to esteem JESUS CHRIST! If we will LIFT HIM to a lost and dying world, we won't have to waste precious time worrying about "self-esteem"--we WILL have a solid sense of self-worth! If we are not VERY careful, "self-esteem" will quickly get us to a place that we no longer feel a need for God or we become too haughty and high-minded to witness to others. It has then become what the Lord hates: P-R-I-D-E.
The Bible defines pride as something God hates: The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. Proverbs 8:13. Further to the point, Mark 7:21-23 tells us, For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
Wow! Pride is listed right in there with murder, theft, adultery. Now would you have thought that pride is THAT big a sin? God does. Let's go back to Proverbs. Do you have any doubt that pride is truly a serious issue with God? Let's see what the penalty for pride is.
A man's pride shall bring him low; but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. Proverbs 29:23. Then there is Proverbs 16:18-19: Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better is it to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
All right. Now before anyone gets confused here, let's examine the difference in being proud to be a CHRISTian (that means CHRIST-like--a follower of Christ by the way, not how "the world" defines "Christian") and harmful pride.
- Being proud of knowing Jesus means you will take every opportunity you have to share the witness of His work in your life with others. Harmful pride will keep you from it.
- Being proud of knowing Jesus means you will not participate in dirty jokes or evil comments about another person at your workplace. Harmful pride means you'll just giggle or smile and go along with the crowd.
- Being proud of knowing Jesus through Salvation means you will no longer indulge in gossip. Instead you will pray for those involved, both the person doing the talking and the person they are talking about.
- Being proud of knowing Jesus in what the Lord has done for you means you will look beyond the physical appearance of the person standing in front of you and see their hurting heart.
The point is, when you let the light of Jesus shine through in your life, people will know it. People are watching you. Let them see Jesus in you. Then they will believe you when you tell them that Jesus loved them enough to die for them, and wants them to love Him, too. Don't let pride hide your light!
Separation From God
How can pride separate us from God? For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is NOT of the Father, but is of the world. I John 2:16. There's the answer. However, the remedy for this is in the scripture verse immediately preceding this one: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. I John 2:15.
What is "pride of life"? A good example of pride of life is self-exaltation. And what is that? Good old boasting and bragging. Elevating myself and my work. Lifting myself up for the admiration of my fellow man instead of lifting up Jesus.
I am reminded of the time, several years ago, when I was asked to play the organ at a funeral service, before a large gathering of people. Feeling rather smug about it, I sat down at that magnificent instrument, ready to impress everyone with my ability. Suddenly, my left foot slipped and hit the lowest bass pedal. Needless to say, the sound reverberated throughout the building. Mortified, I managed to collect myself and gain my seat, but the thought occurred to me, "God has His ways of keeping you humble!" Certainly, not a lot of damage was done but it served to prove a point to me: when I get full of pride, I get careless.
Pride kept me from working for the Lord many years. It was the kind of pride that kept me from doing what we all have been commanded to do: ...Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. Luke 14:23.
My dad never went anywhere without a handkerchief. Never. He knew he was going to need it--not so much for wiping sweat as it was for drying tears. I used to wonder why he cried so much. Many years later, I found that I cried, in the same manner, for the same reasons: it was a breakdown of pride. No one, and I mean no one, would ever have done for me what Jesus did. He, and only He, could see beyond the arrogance, hatefulness, and anger to what He knew could be.
All those years that I was separated from God was due to one word: Pride. Harmful pride. Selfish pride. Shameful pride. This type of pride is not self-standing: it is always accompanied by arrogance, bitterness, fear and anger, just to name a few of its companions. It never travels alone. Understand this: Pride is just the door opener. It lets in ALL manner of ungodly things, each of which serve to separate us more and more from God.
Why did it take disaster or near disaster to break down my pride? Why did I insist on holding myself apart from God until I was left with no choice but to throw myself on His mercy? Why? Part of it was because I was too worried about the image I projected to the world. I was too worried about "their" opinions. Yet, you know what? Not once have I ever prayed to any of those whose opinions I was worried about. Not one time. If I was so worried about them, why didn't I just pray to them? So why did their opinions matter so much to me? They weren't going to be the ones to make the changes I needed made!
Five little letters separated me from God for such a long time: P-R-I-D-E. Yet it was five big letters that allowed me to come back: G-R-A-C-E. It was GRACE that hung on a cross for the redemption of my soul. Not pride. It was GRACE that was extended for my pardon. Not pride. It was GRACE that forgave me when I finally flung myself at His feet and asked forgiveness. Not pride. It was GRACE that answered my desperate cries for mercy for my loved ones. Not pride!
What a gracious, loving Savior we have. That He would forgive me and restore peace to my heart. There are not words enough, there is not time enough to tell Him how grateful I am. I don't want to ever again forget who I was or what I had become. I don't ever want to forget how closely I courted disaster. Why? Because I don't ever again want to give place in my life for pride to creep in. I have seen the damage it can do, and it is my daily prayer that I not allow pride to keep me from telling others about Jesus.
Don't let pride stand in your way. I can tell you from first-hand experience, it will cost you and those you love, dearly. Do whatever it takes to get your loved ones to Jesus. Don't be too proud to worship when you go to church. Don't be too proud to pray with those around the altar. Don't be too proud to write a note to someone you know is sick and let them know you are praying for them. Don't be too proud to ask for prayer.
I guarantee you this: every time we overcome pride and lift Jesus up to someone in need, you will be blessed--you will become closer to God in your walk with Him. And, every time you overcome pride and reach out to others, whatever the situation, it gets easier and easier. I promise.
Please! Don't let pride cost you anything else. Hasn't it exacted enough already?
Getting Past Pride
Pride is very much like the horrible tumors we hear about--the ones that have grown around a vital organ and completely engulfed it--the ones that are called "inoperable". Only the Master Physician can remove pride. No one else can ferret out its root system and loosen its grip on a life. I will never forget the day those walls of pride began to tumble. Nor will I ever forget that it was the Grace of God that cut through the pride and excised it from my heart.
The reality of it all is, I had nothing with which to back up my pride. I had no money, no influence, no power. What could I have been thinking? As arrogant as I was, one would have thought I could part the Red Sea!
Jesus allowed me to come to a place in my life where I had to acknowledge my failures--I had to face up to the fact that I had done it all wrong: "Jesus, I have made such a mess of things! All of this is my fault! No one else is to blame! What am I going to do?"--as I lay where I had cried myself into exhaustion.
Just as is recorded in the 19th chapter of I Kings, there was no great wind, there was no earthquake, there was no fire. I saw no lightning, I didn't hear thunder, just a small, still voice somewhere in the recesses of my mind: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. It was such a small, still voice that its very quietness echoed through the corridors of my mind ...Come unto me, come unto me, come unto me.
I remember my shame--it overwhelmed me. Years and years of guilt poured out of my soul as Jesus performed His almighty surgery, cutting away the roots of hatred, anger, jealousy, prejudice, resentment--all offspring of pride. When I came to the realization that MY WAY WAS NOT GOD'S WAY, and I got out of the way so He could have HIS WAY, changes that needed to be made, were.
The surgery performed by the Master Physician took root and began to grow in my soul. Anger was replaced with joy. Chaos became peace, and most marvelous of all--hatred was removed and compassion put in its place. My hard drive had been re-formatted!
I went from refusing to make eye contact with anyone, to speaking to everyone in my path. I began to notice that a smile did have boomerang qualities--it came back! Glory to God! Only God could have done for me what was done. I wasn't ashamed of Jesus any more. I wasn't afraid to lift my arms in praise to Him any more. I wasn't worried what folks would think if I went up for prayer any more.
Let me put it this way: when we call a loved one and find out they have a simple cold, we immediately start recommending what we have found to make ourselves more comfortable, don't we? Throat lozenges, chicken soup, etc. Now this is for a mere cold! We do not hesitate to tell them what "works for us", do we? Without hesitation, we share with them what we know, we don't wait for them to discover it on their own, Amen?
Have YOU shared with anyone lately HOW MUCH GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU??? You know, the deliverance, the freedom, the JOY you have found in His Service? Or is that joy missing because the service is lacking??
Our loved ones cannot afford to "wait until they change their minds". My son "changed his mind" when God placed him where he could sober up and see the circumstances he was in! Had I waited, he MIGHT have called on God, but folks, that is a terrible risk to run with a loved one's soul!
Pride wasn't going to write me letters. Pride wasn't going to fold me in its arms and tell me it loved me. Pride wasn't going to call me on the phone. And it wouldn't be pride when I had to go to that cemetery and stand over a granite marker with his name on it!
I ask you to think about it before it's too late for your loved ones. Please, don't let pride get in the way of your loved ones' salvation through the blood of Jesus. What do you think Jesus Christ is to an unsaved loved one? The Sure Cure for their eternal soul! The Bible tells us He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. When we were sinners, we were dead to God. We are given life through the blood shed by Jesus Christ for the remission of our sins. Life! Life! Life! Everlasting Life! The only cure for death is what? L-I-F-E!
I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ! I know a Better Way and I must tell others about it! I am not ashamed to let others know about Jesus! Are you? Please don't be.
Replace pride with determination. Reclaim your loved ones for Jesus--renew yourself with the Lord. Remember: what He has done for you, He will do for your loved ones, too!
"The Harmful Effects of Pride" Copyright © 2000 by Patricia Sikes.
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