THE PROBLEM WITH PRIDE
PROVERBS 16:18-20
PROVERBS 16:18-20 NKJ
18 Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,
Than to divide the spoil with the proud.
20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good,
And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.
OBSERVATION:
A number of years ago, I was visiting with a staff member. During the course of our talk, he confidently informed me that he had solved the pride problem in his life. I laughed. I knew this guy. He may have solved the pride problem in his life for that day, but tomorrow was coming.
It would be wonderful if we could solve the pride problem in our life once and for all. However, pride is a flesh problem. We do not get rid of our flesh until we leave this earth.
Pride is thinking too highly of ourselves. We need to have a healthy self-worth, but when it is too elevated, we slip into pride.
Pride before God is thinking we are smarter and know more than He does. Very few believers would admit that they are smarter than God, but our actions give us away.
When we think we know better than God, we set ourselves up for a fall. How many problems could have been avoided if we had listened to wise counsel? Especially God's wise counsel.
The scriptures do not speak well of pride. The opposite of pride is humility. The scriptures always encourage humility. The passage for today indicates that having a humble spirit is the best place to be.
Then we see a picture of humility. Paying attention to and obeying God's word requires humility. And the humble find good.
Trusting in the Lord before we trust ourselves is also a place of humility. It's the attitude that says, Lord, You are right, and I am not. Your ways and Your words are right, and in You, I put my trust. The person who says this and lives this is going to be a happy person. Pride and happy do not go together. Pride and receiving and acting on God's word do not go together. Pride and hitting hard times do go together.
APPLICATION:
One of the biggest challenges with pride is that we don't always recognize it in our own lives.
We can ask mature, trusted believers who know us where they see pride in us. And we can ask the Lord where He sees pride in us. Then get ready. The answers may not bless you, but they can help save you heartache and trouble.
PRAYER:
Lord, help me recognize and root out the pride in my life. And then help me again tomorrow and the next day and the next day...