Keep An Eye On That Pride

The one thing that can trip us up on our life’s journey is pride. It’s the feeling that we have arrived while others are still plodding along. Pride has a way of puffing us up and making our heads a bit swollen. It leaves people feeling inferior and doesn’t help anyone encounter Christ through you. The writer of Proverbs says that “Pride goes before a fall”, and he couldn’t be more right.

As followers of Jesus, we really have nothing to be proud of because everything we are and have is because of Him. Think about it- we couldn’t have saved ourselves if we tried. We couldn’t have redeemed any situation, restored anything or healed ourselves if it were not for Him.

The key to beating pride is to first identify it. Calling it out in our own lives is the surefire way to effectively get rid of it. Once we call it out, we must repent and turn to Jesus in humility. Let’s face it, on our own we cannot kill pride, but with the Holy Spirit’s help, we can. He is the one who brings all things that Jesus taught to remembrance, and one of the ways in which he does that is to remind us of just how far God has brought us and how He has saved us from ourselves time and again. He reminds us about the plank that often blocks our sight and keeps us from picking on the speck in others. Other times, He may remind us just how forgiven we are and that we cannot withhold forgiveness from anyone else. When we stay aware of the Holy Spirit’s nudging, we find that He convicts and transforms us into people who are more humble and teachable. Oh, the things God can do with you when you surrender yourself to his hands, like clay in the hands of a potter. The outcomes are limitless, and every single one of those outcomes will bless you and all those you come in contact with!

Tip:

When you feel yourself getting inflated with pride or you find you’re looking down on others, slow down and get before God to repent and turn back in love towards the people in your life.