OUTCOMES OF PRIDE
- It leads to STRIFE – ‘By PRIDE comes nothing but strife’, Proverbs chapter 13 verse 10.
- It brings DISGRACE – ‘When PRIDE comes, then comes shame’, Proverbs chapter 11 verse 2.
- It leads to a FALL – ‘A man’s PRIDE will bring him low’, Proverbs chapter 29 verse 23.
- It ends in JUDGEMENT – ‘The Lord will destroy the house of the proud’, Proverbs chapter 15 verse 25.
OVERCOMING PRIDE
Left to ourselves, we would not be able to overcome pride by our own efforts. If we were able to do so, it would, no doubt, lead to yet further pride in our hearts! We are thankful, therefore, that God has given us guidance in His Word as to how we can defeat the sin of pride. Clear commands are given through the teaching of Peter in 1 Peter chapter 5 verses 5-8:
- Be submissive to one another
- Be clothed (the outer garment) with humility
- Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God
- Cast all your care (anxiety) on God, acknowledging that you need Him!
- Be sober and vigilant, because you have a dangerous enemy, that is, Satan, who wants to destroy your Christian testimony
- Resist the devil
These seemingly straight-forward steps are comparatively easy to talk about but they are challenging to put into action. We need to pray constantly to God to give us the needed resolve and humility to defeat the sin of pride. It has often been said that humility is the inner grace that the moment you believe that you have got it, you have lost it! It is also possible, of course, to be humble and proud of it!
Even Jesus’ disciples struggled to overcome pride. On one occasion, He called a little child to Him and set him in the midst of them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and BECOME AS LITTLE CHILDREN, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven; therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven’, Matthew chapter 18 verses 3-4.
Concluded