Pride (II)

Last time we began talking about pride. We saw that pride is a cancer we must avoid ad if we discover it we 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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