A haughty look, a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked are sin. Proverbs 21:4
Being proud is something that the world takes great pride in. People are told to be proud of who they are and what they can do. It is about building up one’s own self, rather than lowering oneself. It is seen as a good thing to accomplish. Pride is seen as such a good thing to do that a month has been dedicated to be filled with pride.
Solomon says that a haughty or superior look, the proud heart and the plowing of the wicked are all sin.
The world is focused on building up self. It is focused on how to look bigger, better and stronger than anyone else. Rising to the top is the goal of the majority of people. In doing so it gives a person the reason to be proud of one has become and is.
While being proud of one’s own self appears to be a good thing to do, it is actually self destructive in the end. Pride is all about self and puts others down. It was pride that drove Adam and Eve to choose to break God’s one and only command in the Garden of Eden. They wanted to be more like God, to be the top, to be the best. Once they acted in pride, they had to die.
Believers can easily get caught up in self pride. Some become proud of how much holier one is than someone else. Others become proud of how God is using them in some ministry.
Jesus had the right to be filled with pride but chose to be humble and submit Himself to death upon the cross so that all could be forgiven and given life. Believers must remove all pride from their life to be like Jesus.
The world will push you to be filled with pride for yourself. It will be easy to allow pride into your heart and begin to look down on others who are not as ‘good’ as you are. Reject the temptation to be proud and give your life to God. Allow God to be on the throne of your heart rather than your own personal self. Live your life as Jesus lived, humble before God and mankind. Put God and others above yourself and see how God can use you and lift you up.
Today I pray that you will know Jesus as Lord and Savior; that God will reveal any pride in your life; that you will repent of any pride against God; that you will live a humble life before God and others; and that God will lift you up in His way and time.
Picture by Syed Ahmed on Unsplash
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