Another way of asking the same question is: Am I pompous? Am I selectively obedient to God and his will? Answers to these questions are crucial to whether you have A Proud Heart or you are humble.
Pride was the first sin to destroy. The devil is the originator of pride and it all started with self- exaltation. He suffered from the ‘I’ syndrome. Pride brought down instead of the archangel Lucifer that he was. The devil, therefore he is the foundation of pride, the inspire of earthly pomp and power. The proud person is easily offended, contentious, haughty and pompous. Boastful in speech and high minded.
There are many forms of pride patterned along the object of excellence, admiration or love. To some people it might be:
PRIDE OF ACHIEVEMENT AND ABILITY
Many are willing to risk their life and limb if by winning their objective, they become well known. Their excellence is not received in humility. God will not give his glory to another. Success is withheld from many for the simple reason that God knows such would not be able to carry it humbly and graciously.
PRIDE OF SPIRITUAL PROWESS
No matter how eminently gifted a believer may be, he has no right to pride himself upon his abilities, for all he has is of grace. Apart from Christ, we are nothing and can do nothing. Too often preachers parades themselves, their knowledge or their gift. Many gifted labourer in the vineyard of the Lord ruin themselves by conceit. This is why power without purity kills its possessors. We would rather have no power as to heal a headache while we remain humble than to have- power like Samson and live in disobedience to his counsels.
A Proud Heart
PRIDE OF POSITION-
This abuse of God’s given power is eminent amidst believers. Leaders in fellowship, leaders in their own sphere, use the position as onto God. If God permits us to come to eminence in any sphere, we should carry the fame with humility because promotion comes from God. He lifts up one and puts down another. Don’t allow subordinates to rejoice at your absence. You roar like lion and put the whole world in your hands like all depends on you. Count it a privilege to be there so use it to the glory of God.
PRIDE OF PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
those possessing a beautiful face and form are usually proud of their physical attractiveness, forgetting that beauty is only skin deep. When you are too conscious of your external beauty, your inner beauty fades. The body or physical appearance that is making you weird can be destroyed at any time.
We need to wage a fierce war against pride. A Proud heart starts from the thoughts of your heart. We should watch our thoughts, especially as it concerns how we regard ourselves. We should give preferences to others. Present yourself daily to God for crucifixion. Crucify the world in your life. Recognise and acknowledge the presence of God always and in all things watch and pray that you enter not into the sin of pride again.
Seven Signs of a Selfish Heart
- Fear
When we fail to humbly rest in God’s sovereign care, we become fearful and anxious. Fear indicates our lack of trust as well as our poisonous self-reliance. We are afraid because we lack faith in the Lord, we are busy with ourselves, and we are powerless.
- Eligibility
A humble heart is the source of self-sacrifice. A haughty heart is the source of entitlement. The gospel’s central message is that we are not entitled to anything other than just punishment for our transgressions (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Yet we fool ourselves into believing that we are better than we are, and that we deserve more. We believe we are deserving of God’s mercy. We believe we are deserving of praise. We believe we are deserving of love, success, comfort, and recognition. We don’t believe we are deserving of pain, sadness, or punishment.
The disciples struggled with entitlement on numerous occasions. They were debating about who was the greatest at one point. They thought they earned fame and glory for themselves.
3. Ingratitude
Our proud hearts say we are good, that we should get what we want, and if we don’t, we’re justified in our ingratitude. If we’re uncomfortable or inconvenienced in any way, we can complain. It’s our right. Humility recognizes that God is good, that he gives us what he knows we need, so we have no reason to be ungrateful. There is nothing we lack (Deuteronomy 2:7; Psalm 34:9).
The Israelites’ grumbled in the wilderness, though God fed, clothed, and led them through it (Exodus 16:2; Deuteronomy 8:2). Their stubborn hearts rejected God’s daily mercies out of a foundation of self-idolization. But God’s Word rebukes our proud grumbling with this command: “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…” (Philippians 2:14-15).
3. Ingratitude
Our proud hearts say we are good, that we should get what we want, and if we don’t, we’re justified in our ingratitude. If we’re uncomfortable or inconvenienced in any way, we can complain. It’s our right. Humility recognizes that God is good, that he gives us what he knows we need, so we have no reason to be ungrateful. There is nothing we lack (Deuteronomy 2:7; Psalm 34:9).
The Israelites’ grumbled in the wilderness, though God fed, clothed, and led them through it (Exodus 16:2; Deuteronomy 8:2). Their stubborn hearts rejected God’s daily mercies out of a foundation of self-idolization. But God’s Word rebukes our proud grumbling with this command: “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…” (Philippians 2:14-15).
- Appeasing others
People-pleasing is a direct result of pride, which is self-worship and self-preservation at all costs. Some people regard people-pleasing as a positive attribute since it demonstrates a strong desire to help others. But that faith is little more than a sheepskin covering for a wolfish lifestyle. People-pleasing is all about self-satisfaction—fearing man more than God—and the ephemeral happiness that comes with man’s favor.
I hope you find this A Proud Heart post helpful? Please don’t forget to like, share and comment.
Shalom!
Wunmi Oyesanya
info@mzjewel.com
See how you can earn $27 in 7 minutes! Read here – https://bit.ly/32NSumo
$300-$500 Daily With Crypto – https://bit.ly/37Py4LO
Next time I read a blog, Hopefully it wont fail me as much as this one. After all, I know it was my choice to read through, but I genuinely thought you would have something useful to say. All I hear is a bunch of moaning about something that you can fix if you were not too busy seeking attention.