Pride is a killer and we must do everything we can to decisively conquer it.
“Pride, the first-born son of hell, unclean and vile, is a ringleader and captain among iniquities, daring and God-defying sin. It has nothing lovely in it. Pride exalts it head, and seeks to honor itself; but it is of all things most despised. Pride wins no crown; men never honor it, not even the menial slaves of earth; for all men look down on the proud man, and think him less than them. It was pride that cast Lucifer from heaven and it was pride that cost our first parents (Adam and Eve) their place in Paradise. Pride is the first sin to enter a man’s heart and the last to leave. No sin is more offensive to God than the sin of pride.” James Dina
One of the drawbacks of rising up in the ladder of life is the tendency and temptation to be proud because leadership confers on people an elevated position and status which comes with power, praise and fame.
Pride is a very subtle way by which many leaders fall. Pride is an exaggerated/inflated idea of one’s importance. It is a feeling that you are more important than others. Pride is an inordinate opinion of one’s dignity, importance, merit or superiority. Pride can be “internal or external” – it can be in the mind and it can be by conduct or words.
Pride is dangerous.
“Remember that pride is the worst viper that is in the heart, the greatest disturber of the soul’s peace and sweet communion with Christ; it was the first sin that ever was, and lies lowest in the foundation of Satan’s whole building, and is the most difficultly rooted out, and is the most hidden, secret and deceitful of all lusts, and often creeps in, insensibly, into the midst of religion and sometimes under the disguise of humility.” Jonathan Edwards
Pride will cause:
1) Shame. “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2.
“ If pride is what goes before a fall, the shame is what keeps you from getting up after one.” Max lucado
2) Contention. “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.” Proverbs 13:10.
“He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.” Proverbs 28:25.
3) Destruction. “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18.
“Pride is the parent of destruction; pride eats the mind and the heart and the soul alive.” Anne Rice
“A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” C.S. Lewis
“The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow.” Proverbs 15:25.
4) Demotion. “A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.” Proverbs 29:23.
5) Distrust and loss of respect.
To avoid falling into the pitfall of pride we need to constantly check ourselves.
TO BE CONTINUED
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Pride Part 2
Last time we began talking about pride. We saw that pride is a cancer we must avoid ad if we discover it w e must decisively deal with it.
We saw that pride will cause shame, contention, destruction, demotion, distrust and loss of respect.
To avoid falling into the pitfall of pride we need to constantly check ourselves.
Pride is subtle so we need to be vigilant. We must know how pride manifests so we can avoid/deal with it.
20 Manifestations of pride
1) Seeing yourself better than others.
2) Superiority complex – behavior that suggests you are superior to others.
3) Talking too much about yourself – self worship.
4) Being consumed with peoples opinion.
5) Inability to take criticisms – defensive and evasive when criticized.
6) Talking down on people – judgmental, inconsiderate and intolerant of people with lesser skills, ability money, etc. than you.
7) Being defensive/playing the blame game – never admitting you are wrong.
8) Jealousy and envy.
9) Assuming you already know something when someone is teaching.
10) Seeing yourself too good or too important to perform certain tasks.
11) Not asking for help.
12) Disregarding advice of others – thinking your way/opinion is always the right way and the best way.
13) Name dropping.
14) Driven to receive approval, praise or acceptance of others.
15) Unusually sensitive and touchy – easily offended, hurt and angry.
16) Ingratitude – lack of contentment.
“A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves.“ Henry Ward Beecher
17) People pleasing – wanting to be in everybody’s good books especially those in authority, power or influence.
18) Prayerlessness – not needing or asking God for help.
19) Comparison.
“Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man… It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition is gone, pride is gone.” C.S. Lewis
20) Stubbornness – always doing whatever you want every time, insisting on your own way/method.
TO BE CONTINUED
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Pride Part 3
We have been looking at the issue of pride. Pride is a very subtle way by which many leaders fall. Pride is an exaggerated/inflated idea of one’s importance. It is a feeling that you are more important than others. Pride is an inordinate opinion of one’s dignity, importance, merit or superiority. Pride can be “internal or external” – it can be in the mind and it can be by conduct or words.
Pride is a destroyer.
“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”Proverbs 16:18
Pride makes its victim blind.
“Pride is so busy trying to get everyone else to see it that it can never get the time to see itself. Since pride is the most superior part of everything, the only one it will honor or respect is itself.” Doreen A. Martin
Pride must be dispensed with if we will last.
“There is nothing into which the heart of man so easily falls as pride, and yet there is no more vice which is more frequently, more emphatically, and more eloquently condemned in Scripture. Pride is a thing which should be unnatural to us, for we have nothing to be proud of. In almost every other sin, we gather us ashes when the fire is gone. But here, what is left? The covetous man has his shining gold, but what does the proud man have? He has less than he would have had without pride, and is no gainer whatever. Pride wins no crown.” C. H. Spurgeon
Antidote to Pride:
- Understand and operate with the understanding that whatever you are or have is given you by God so no need to be proud.
“For who separates you from the others [as a faction leader]? [Who makes you superior and sets you apart from another, giving you the preeminence?] What have you that was not given to you? If then you received it [from someone], why do you boast as if you had not received [but had gained it by your own efforts]?” 1 Corinthians 4:7 Amplified.
- “Give people permission to point out pride in your life. Pride deceives the mind. It blinds you and makes you think everything is going great; however, when your pride is unclear to you, it is usually painfully clear to the people around you. Allow them to point out the pride in your life without fear of anger on your part.” Micah Cartee
- Consider Others More Important
This is the command that Paul gave in Philippians 2, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.”
- Pray to receive God’s help
- Humility is an attribute we must acquire and walk in if we will avoid the destructive consequences of pride.
CONCLUDED
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