October 8th
Identify and Conquer the Characteristics of Pride
Ezekiel 28:17
17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. KJV
The first sin ever committed was the sin of pride. Lucifer (now known as Satan) was lifted up in pride with what God had created him with – BEAUTY. He was corrupted with the perfect wisdom he had. Pride is a very subtle thing. Lucifer was perfect and was living in a perfect environment, he felt good and he looked good. But his mind began to be lifted up in pride. Pride caused him to strive and rebel against God.
Let’s examine some practical characteristics of pride:
1. When you hear yourself talking about yourself more than about others.
2. When you’re not happy when you are not in the centre of attention; when you’re ignored.
3. When you look bad; anger and embarrassment are expressions of pride.
4. When you’ve been secretive – that develops into lying. Trying to project a false image. Secrets separate you from others. It takes humility to be honest.
5. When you’re always trying to be different.
6. Pride makes excuses. Humility faces the truth and reality. Humility takes responsibility for wrong doing.
7. Pride shows little or no interest in other people’s views.
8. Pride is argumentative when corrected; pride doesn’t answer questions, it always avoids questions, or tries to answer on your own terms.
9. Pride will act like you know things that you don’t.
10. Pride doesn’t want to admit that you know something that I don’t.
11. Pride has a tough time with impression (other people’s impression of them).
12. Pride assumes people should do things for them. Humility is thankful even over little things.
13. Pride is a poor receiver – saying “I love to give but find it hard to receive.”
14. Pride interrupts; you think what you’ve to say is more important than others, that you couldn’t wait for others to finish.
15. Pride justifies or defences oneself.
a. How do you handle when you are being “second placed or back seated?”
b. How do you handle demotion?
c. What if someone else gets the recognition that you deserve?
d. Because we seek the glory of men, we’ll always justify or defend ourselves for what we’ve done, especially when you’re wrongly accused or being ignored for what you’ve done.
e. If God does not defend you, you need not defend yourself or be concerned with it.
Pride will lead you to strife against God, against your colleagues, against your spouse, and others. God has all the answers to life. So you don’t want to strive against Him. When Lucifer was lifted up in pride in his heart, he wanted to ascend to the throne of God. He strived to be where he was not meant to be. He strived to be like God but he was created to be just an angel, whereas we were created in the image of God and in His likeness.
What should you do?
1. Cast down your imagination, because it will come with those characteristics mentioned above. Wrong imaginations can become your stronghold that binds you and leads you into developing a bad attitude.
2. Continue to do good so as to overcome evil with good.
3. Trust (have confidence and faith) in the Lord and pray; for promotion comes from the Lord and He will vindicate you in due time (Psalm 75:4-7 AMP). He will instruct you and teach you the way you should go.