WATCH YOUR PRIDE

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride, but the lips of the wise protect them. 
The Lord tears down the house of the proud, but he sets the widow’s boundary stones in place. 

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. 
Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud. 

Proverbs 11:2, 13:10, 14:3, 15:25, 16:18, 16:19

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

This proverb will pierce us to the core in regard to matter of pride:

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

You may have typically heard this used by people who would shorten it and simply say that “pride comes before the fall” but that version only softens what the word of God has to say. Pride just won’t lead a person to a fall but rather to destruction.

This tells you one critical thing about pride. It can be sinful in nature.

Did you catch that? I said CAN BE sinful in nature.

I say this because it’s not ALWAYS wrong to be proud. There are times when pride is perfectly fine.

I am proud to be a husband to my beautiful wife, Grace. I am proud to have two wonderful daughters, Stephanie and Danielle. I am proud (and blessed) to now have three grandchildren: Maddox, Graham, and Hadley. I am proud of a long and successful career in the Navy. And I am most proud of my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and God His Father who one day I will live with forever.

You get the point right. It’s not always bad to have pride but we DO need to watch it because pride, just like anything else, can be misused in ways that harm ourselves and others.

So when is pride bad? Consider these examples:

1. You are too proud to say you’re sorry.

I don’t know how many times I have seen this happen. Two people find themselves in disagreement or strife about something. One, or the other, or both refuse to humble themselves, swallow their pride, and apologize. And so the conflict goes on and on and on with both parties trading opportunities to lash out at each other. Neither is willing to be the bigger person, mostly because of another by-product of sinful pride. Look at number 2.

2. You are too proud to admit you’re wrong.

I have seen this one too many times as well. A person, no matter how stacked the convicting evidence is against them, will refuse to humble themselves and admit guilt. Instead, they will walk around the admission, too proud to confess that they are fallible. In the end, they just look petty and foolish. Excessive pride will definitely do that to you.

3. You are so proud that you arrogantly hold yourselves over others who you see of lower stature.

I’m sure you might be able to relate to this one. I know I can. It’s amazing sometimes how someone gaining a little stature, whether professionally or financially, can all of a sudden see themselves as far greater than others, adopting a pompous, patronizing attitude toward those below them. Funny how this kind of person always forgets they were once in a place where they were one of the lowly ones before they found fortune. Funny as well how we seem to see these people eventually come to ruin in some way.

Wait, didn’t the proverb say that would happen, that pride would come before destruction?

Friends, God’s word sends a message loud and clear here.

Watch your pride.

Choose humility over arrogance. Admit your wrongs when you commit them. Apologize whenever needed. And never see yourself as better than another following these words from Paul:

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” Romans 12:3

When you do this, when you watch your pride and keep yourself in check allowing humility to be your guide, then you can avoid allowing pride to turn sinful, stay clear of disgrace, and show yourself more wise than foolish. You’ll also save yourself from God’s correction, and rest assured He will humble you if you decide to not do it yourself. His word promised it for again:

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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