Let’s reflect on how pride corrupts our character and limits the glory we can give God. There are many things that can fuel pride. Consider for example how education, income, status, power and authority can sometimes contribute to a proud, arrogant and ‘know-it-all’ disposition.

I recall early on in my technology career working on a new business development initiative. I was responsible for a new innovation and I wanted to get some market input to validate our thinking. So I called a senior executive in my target market and asked if I could speak to him about our product development strategy to see if it would meet his corporate needs. When I went to meet with him he said, “This is the first time anyone in your company has come to ask my opinion.” He was a visionary and he gave me some critical, strategic input. He was pleased to have been consulted. The customer was gracious, generous and desirous of helping us to succeed. I realized our general approach to technology development was too inwardly focused. Pride in companies often results in failures because we are so proud of our competencies, our accomplishments and track records that we think we know-it-all.  We think we know what the market wants and needs and we sometimes fail to consult and acknowledge the input of our customers that may lead us into a different direction.

Pride is one of the primary reasons people fail to give glory to God. Pride is the primary sin of Satan who wanted to exalt himself and be worshiped like God. Satan wants you to reject God and fill you with self-love, pursuing pleasure, vanity and self-gratification.  At the center of pride is EGO and a focus and desire to please oneself.

“In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” Psalm 10:4

Pride results in people rejecting people and pride results in people rejecting God. Proud people see themselves as important and generally want to exclusively associate themselves with people of similar status, income, power and authority because that contributes to their EGO. Pride can make people reject new ideas and innovation because of the problem called NIH (Not Invented Here!). Proud people like to be leading not following. Proud people are reluctant to accept criticism and may be quick to judge others by the status symbols proud people collect – like money, important titles, beautiful clothes, fancy cars and expensive homes.

I remember being a university student working in a jewelry store. I noticed one of my professors entering the store and going into one of the departments I was not serving. She was a small woman of Indian descent and she dressed very simply. I watched as she waited and waited at the counter to be served. I was stunned that the salesperson ignored her as though she couldn’t possibly be capable of making a purchase.  So I left my department to go and serve her and I raised my voice as I entered the department yelling, “HELLO PROFESSOR!” causing a few heads in the store to turn.  My professor smiled at me and I helped her make a large purchase and the salesperson who was supposed to be serving her was visibly embarrassed with a ‘red face’.

Pride contributes to people judging themselves as superior and other people as inferior and unworthy as they look down their noses at others like they are ‘less’.  Pride makes people blind to everything that does not cater to their sense of self-worth and importance.

Society teaches people to be proud.  The proud man is independent, self-made, full of self-love and confident in his own abilities to succeed. In contrast the humble man loves God, not self, and he acknowledges his dependence on God’s grace to grow and prosper. The humble man readily recognizes that he cannot do anything without God and he prays for God’s Holy Spirit to succeed. The humble man’s focus is not on self-gratification but rather on what he can do to please God.

God has a way of appearing to us dressed in a disguise and if we are not humble we may reject Him because we don’t recognize Him. Recall in the very beginning that God revealed the birth of His Son Jesus to the shepherds tending their flocks not to the powerful religious authorities.  If Jesus were to announce His return to some people who do you think they would be?

Pride makes us self-centered, but humility makes us God-centered.  Pride is a self-deception which allows us to feel superior to others, but humility helps us to forget ourselves and focus on pleasing God.  If we want to truly be God’s then we must acknowledge Him as the source of every blessing.  If we are able to do something good it is through God’s grace so let us give God glory and acknowledge His blessing for our talents and gifts.

Think of yourself as God’s holy dwelling place.  In order for God to reign in our lives, we must stop exalting ourselves and allow God to be exalted.  We must give God the highest place of honour and pray continuously for His grace to lead us and guide us in our day-to-day life.  Holiness occurs when we enter into a full communion with God, surrendering our free will completely to God allowing God’s Will to prevail over all our decisions.

Let us pray for God’s Holy Spirit to crush our pride and arrogance. Help us Lord to love You and trust You and worship You as You deserve. Help us to remember that we need You to find the path of true success. We need You to help us to learn how to give You glory. Help us to not judge one another and to be open to seeing You and loving You in all people. Help us to pray for one another everyday. We love You sweet Saviour Jesus Christ. You are always in my heart and on my mind!  Thy will be done Lord today and always!

“All who fear the LORD will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.” Proverbs 8:13

“Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18

Please join The Mercy Movement that is uniting believers of Jesus Christ in a moment of true fraternity, DAILY, at the Time Jesus died for us, 3pm, each of us in our local time zones. At this time let us humble ourselves to remember the Passion of Christ and call upon the Holy Spirit of God to fill our hearts with love, mercy and humility.  Let us pray especially for those who are suffering and being persecuted and for those that are persecuting them.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  2 Chronicles 7:14