Rooting out pride part 2
Pride Comes Before the Fall
Pride tricks us into thinking it’s for us because it puts us first, but ultimately, its blinding ability to see only our perspective, or to put our perspective above those of others, gets in our way.
God HATES pride.
God is not for the proud.
In part one of Rooting Out Pride – The Power of Pride, we noted these two verses
James 4:6 says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Proverbs 16:5 is very firm when it states, “Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished.”
Ultimately, God brings low the proud and raises the humble.
Whether it be out of its own consequences or directly from God Himself, we know that a life and way and walk of pride leads to destruction. It will come before a fall.
By contrast, God gives grace to the humble.
In fact, James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”
God EXALTS the humble.
It seems counter-intuitive — that putting ourselves last will raise us up, that putting ourselves first will end up with us last.
But that’s exactly what the Bible says.
Proverbs 16:18-19 tells us, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud.”
Just two chapters later, Proverbs 18: 12 says, “Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.”
And in Proverbs 11:2, it says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.”
In fact it calls us to pursue humility, to be humble.
Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
Friends, we need to drop pride because pride comes before the fall. There is warning in the Bible time and time again, and yet we’re surprised when putting ourselves first fails and we’re hesitant to live a life of humility and self denial.
Pride destroys others and ourselves. The same pride in us is the same pride that exists in the most proud, entitled, cruel people we know. It may not be at that level but it’s core is the same. It RUINS.
So what does it look like to avoid pride, to humble ourselves?
“and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14.
Let’s follow this path of humility, and cling to the promises God gives to the humble.
- James 4:10, “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”
- 1 Peter 5:6, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time”
- Matthew 23:12, “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”
XO,
Meg