Good day Templar family
Proverbs 18:12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, but humility goes before honor.
Pride is one of those sins that we throw under the rug. When it comes to pride we overlook it. We have forgotten that it was the sin of pride that got Satan kicked out of Heaven. We have forgotten that God says He hates a proud heart.
Do you look down upon others? If you did would you admit that you struggle with looking down upon others? Is everything and everyone a competi... moreGood day Templar family
Proverbs 18:12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, but humility goes before honor.
Pride is one of those sins that we throw under the rug. When it comes to pride we overlook it. We have forgotten that it was the sin of pride that got Satan kicked out of Heaven. We have forgotten that God says He hates a proud heart.
Do you look down upon others? If you did would you admit that you struggle with looking down upon others? Is everything and everyone a competition to you?
Do you always want the best? Do you make sacrifices for others? Do you mind being put in the back so others can lead? Do you mind eating less so others can eat more? Do you mind waiting so others can go first?
When you seek the low position God will honor you and if it is His will He will bring you to a higher position. When you automatically seek the higher position you can be put to shame because God can say, “nope” and He can remove you from the higher position to the lower position.
There are some situations that we go through that God uses to make us more humble. Sometimes God doesn’t answer a prayer right away because if He does we are going to get the blessing, but we are going to be so prideful. God has to work humility in us. God blessed Paul with a thorn so he wouldn’t become conceited. I believe He sometimes blesses us with certain trials so we don’t become conceited because we are sinful by nature.
Often the proud don’t know they are proud and they won’t listen because they are blinded by their arrogance. Pride stops you from hearing the truth even if there is clear evidence. It causes you to twist Scripture to justify sin. The Pharisees were blinded by their pride and if you are not careful you can be blinded by your pride as well. Open your heart to rebuke. Pride causes you to say, “no I’m not wrong, no this message is not for me, God will understand.”
Do you think that you are better than others or entitled to more than others because of how smart you, how you look, what you own, how much you make, your achievements, etc.
We can struggle with pride in so many different ways and never notice it. Do you always want to be right? Do you defend the Bible with love or do you just do it to win a debate? Would you be quick to admit that you’re wrong?
Sometimes humility is saying, “I don’t know” when a question is presented that you don’t have the answer to. Pride would rather tell someone an incorrect answer or a guess then to say, “I don’t know.”
We must learn to take the focus off of ourselves and put it on the Lord, which will result in more fruits of humility.
Pride always goes before a fall. There are many who fall into egregious sin and they were the same who said, “I would never commit that sin.” Then, they start thinking that they are spiritual enough to do certain things, they don’t have to obey, they can add to God’s word, they put themselves in a position to sin, and they end up falling into sin.
We must say, “by the grace of God may I never commit that sin.” God gives us the grace and the wisdom so we don’t fall into traps from Satan, but pride stops you from thinking clearly. You are too stubborn to admit guilt, think lowly of yourself, to switch directions, etc. Satan was God’s top angel, but he became haughty because of his beauty. It was his pride that led to his destruction. Your pride is going to end up humbling you.
For example, it’s humiliating for an arrogant known trash talker to lose in sports. You were high before, but now you feel low because you are sitting in shame thinking about your arrogant antics. You are humiliated in front of the world.
Humble yourself now so you won’t be humbled later.
I encourage you to pray to the Lord for help with humility, pray for help with genuinely being interested in others, pray for help with loving others more, pray for help with being more of a servant, pray for help with thinking of yourself less, pray that the Holy Spirit helps you to identify areas of your life where you may be prideful.
Be still and take a moment to think how can I honor the Lord instead? Though we may struggle with pride we put our trust in the perfect merit of Christ and we are being renewed daily.
Have a blessed Monday
MC Louis Steyn
OMSDT. Priory of St.Miltiades
Freedom in Christ
