We have a proclivity to think of individuals and nations as our adversaries when they present a threat to our personal or national well being. But, I submit, that our greatest adversary is Satan and he makes his assaults from within not without. It is an inside covert operation.
Pride
Pride is presumptuous and self-satisfying. It is estimating ourselves too highly and exaggerating our abilities. We erect myriad illusions about who we are and what we are about. We take credit where credit does not belong and parade around as though we have earned it ourselves. It is our distorted way of playing God in our own little world.
We have all heard people boast of all the things they do not do. What they often omit is what it is they do do. We all do something. Some of us engage in the same acts of others but we do it in a more subtle or different way. We may not drink, but we overeat. We may not murder physically, but we murder spiritually. We may not abuse a child, but we abuse those of a different ethnic group. We may not curse, but we demean and degrade others. Our pride blinds us to our failings. We seem hell bent on making ourselves look good to ourselves and feel good about ourselves and think God is satisfied with us. Some of us have never truly prayed but merely stood in the presence of a god we have created, because we refuse to see ourselves for what we really are. Pride is based in a real desire to be God and to be worshipped.
What does Scripture have to say on the issue of pride?
A man's pride brings him low... (Proverbs 29:23a)
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)
The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee... (Obadiah 1:3)
This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts. (Zephaniah 2:10)
When pride cometh, then cometh shame... (Proverbs 11:2)
Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. (1Timothy 3:6)
Before his downfall a man's heart is proud... (Proverbs 18:12a)
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1 John 2:16)
Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud. (Proverbs 16:19)
What we so often fail to realize is that we need God to discipline us and draw us closer to Him that we might feel our status as creatures. God is the Creator and we are the creatures. We need God, He does not need us. As Robert Brown points out, We know we need God because even when we strive to be humble, to the extent that we are successful, we become aware of how humble we are, and, regardless of how hard we try, we are unable to avoid the thought that we are "good" because we are so humble. Surely God must be pleased by our humility.
Well, what has happened here? We have become proud of being humble. So then the question becomes does our recognition of this solve our problem? Of course the answer is no, because even when we are aware of this fact, we are in danger of being proud of the fact that we recognize that we were being proud of being humble. Thus, we cannot escape this evil of pride without God's intervention. It is only when we stand in His holy presence do we come to an understanding of who we are and who He is. Satan, God's most formidable enemy, will have us believing we are more than what we are. And, only God can defeat the enemy within: pride.
Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, veteran social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach which can be reviewed on her site. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, is expected to be available soon.
You are welcome to visit amen ministries: your soul's service station for spiritual refreshing, soul edification, browse our newly expanded mini shopping mall or review our recommended books you may want to add to your personal library.
Blessings to all!
Culver prom limo ..Greetings Divine Ones, I am going to ask you a... Read More
Feeling restless? Is part of you calling out for change,... Read More
One important factor in how we go through life is... Read More
There is no incident in the life of Moses which... Read More
Most Tarot decks consist of 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana,... Read More
When I was 10 years old my father decided to... Read More
Hopefully you're reading this article because you're intrigued by the... Read More
A lot of times when I am reading people on... Read More
A magnificent source of life insurance and it's FREE. You... Read More
Some may ask why in a disaster some people are... Read More
What's the difference? How are we supposed to tell the... Read More
I heard recently on a Christian radio station somebody talking... Read More
James 1:23-24Anyone who listens to the word but does not... Read More
What is the opportunity here? What is the benefit of... Read More
There is no such thing as a coincidence. Albert Einstein... Read More
In looking back at my process over the years I... Read More
As humans, we are the species that operate with symbols.... Read More
As a child growing up, whenever I was worried about... Read More
For many years of my life, I thought the spiritual... Read More
I had the intention of writing about Soul Mates but... Read More
Back in the days of the old law of Moses,... Read More
We make sense of our world via the senses. The... Read More
In earlier articles entitled "We Are Not Our Personalities", "Eliminating... Read More
Let Your Family and Friends Know That You Are A... Read More
In God's world, everything can be used as an anology... Read More
Wood Dale limo ..Being critical of Buddhism isn't easy.Buddhism is the most likable... Read More
I am not enlightened, and yet,... Read More
I seemed to have lost my heart. Now this is... Read More
I was reminiscing with a friend recently about his 'dark... Read More
Heaven is a place of abundance and earth is a... Read More
The time has come for the mass population on Earth... Read More
I have a long-term goal--a life-long goal really--to develop the... Read More
A feeling of fulfillment is something we all seek. Here... Read More
Some people go to physics and spiritual readers for advice... Read More
African-American people are natural caretakers. We do a great job... Read More
Action dakini gets everything done. When wanting and grasping hold... Read More
I beheld the sky and its wonders and saw AstonishmentI... Read More
Our Creator is an infinitely loving and generous provider -... Read More
New Age Spirituality is all about getting back your power.... Read More
"What does it profit a man to have gained the... Read More
When I was a child, I thought as a child,... Read More
"He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written... Read More
We have all heard the phrase, "follow your nose". This... Read More
Make no mistake about it, change is challenging whether it... Read More
My favorite scripture is Roman's 8:28. "And we know that... Read More
After first seeing my photography, people... Read More
No, I have never seen a fairy, an angel, nor... Read More
"Mama, save me!"My six year old son jumped into my... Read More
What is a Christian? According to The American Heritage? Dictionary... Read More
The term spirituality is a confusing term. Usually, when one... Read More
Spirituality |