Pride is the killer of our walk with the Lord.
Vanity comes from pride, lust, envy, desire, all those and much more come from pride, the desire to lift ourselves up, to place our wants above what the Lord desires for us. Pride will separate you not only from the Lord Jesus Christ, but from everyone you know, and the end of it will be destruction.
We who have been saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ know pride better than all those alive that do not know Him as Lord, it is why 1 Peter 2:16 reminds us, “As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.” Every time that we realize that we have been chosen by God we will be attacked from within ourselves by pride, for are we not His children, are we not the bearers of His truths, will we not shine as the stars of heaven, some reigning as kings and priest, all heirs to the Kingdom of the Most High?
The greatest honors bring about the best opportunities for pride too begin to destroy a man.
The strongest man, the richest, the wisest in the ways of the world will realize that all of their accomplishments, all of the recognition they achieved all of their pride as they lie on their deathbed availed them nothing. Pride destroyed their entire lives.
I often think on this as I pass by a cemetery and see some of the monikers, monoliths actually, giant carved stones still attempting to scream to the world, “I mattered!”
We as born-again believers fight this battle against the foundation of our enemy, of pride nearly every day, and I firmly believe the Lord loves us so much that He assists us in this constant war, but not in the way that many like to think of. David saw Bathsheba, pride said “I am the king, I can take what I want.” Pride tried to hide what happened, and not only did the Lord kill the child, He brought the sword to David’s kingdom. Solomon saw his wisdom in pride as he grew older, Samson is a prime example of pride, along with the Pharisee of the days of our Lord.
Pride will destroy, it can do nothing else, but it deceives those who fall into its trap into thinking that they are being lifted up.
There is only one way to keep pride at bay, for in this life you will never kill it, and that is through humility. The Holy Spirit will be more than willing to show you this path, the path of the knowledge that God alone is Sovereign, but if you decide to quench those promptings, if you will, then our Father in heaven will be more than gracious to you and teach you the lesson you need to learn. The destruction He brings upon His children who tread the path of pride is not one of complete obliteration, but it will teach you a lesson.
If you apply His lesson, you will repent in dust and ashes, then He will lift you up, dust you off, and place you back on the path of humility, and you will grow more than many who are called your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Pride says, “I do not need God,” a fool in the Scriptures is one who orders his life as if there is no God. People filled with pride are fools, those who have been born-again can see the foolishness of pride, but when the truth escapes us for a season, and if we will not listen when the Holy Spirit attempts to correct us in the error of our ways, our Father in heaven will be glad to do that for us.
That is not where you want to go.
“By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.” (Prov. 22:4)
