Translate This Page
GOD'S WORD
God's Word is a lamp, a light that illuminates the darkness. If a person walks through the woods at night, he is well served to have a flashlight with him to shine it on the ground in front of him so that his feet do not trip over a snag in the path, or his shins do not encounter a boulder or fallen log. That is what light does: It illuminates or reveals.
God's Word illuminates the path of our lives. If we keep God's Word shining along the way, then we will be far less likely to trip. We will not be easily deceived. Because we are following the light, we will see what the light reveals in the path ahead of us. It is only when we turn the light off (before we have actually arrived at our destination) that something could spring up in the dark and trip us. Therefore, if we keep the light of God's truth shining brightly ahead of us, then we have a greater chance of avoiding deception.
- Psalm 119:105 KJV
- So let us strive to have good pride in the Lord. -
Good morning My Brothers and Sisters. My Devotional today is a long one, but I have been thinking on this subject for a while now. Today I want to talk to you about Pride. There are two kinds of Pride. First, I want to talk about the Pride that has come to the center, the original and most serious of the seven deadly sins, "unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through this pride that the devil became the devil: This pride leads to every other vice.
It is said that Lucifer was once the greatest and most beautiful Angel in Heaven. In Hebrew, the word Lucifer means "shining one, morning star." Lucifer's pride and desire to compete with God was what caused his fall from Heaven and transformation into Satan.
Sinful pride is believing that you are better than others, failing to recognize the accomplishment of others, and undue admiration of the personal self. We take pride in almost everything- our appearance, possessions, intelligence, job, even our religion. These things are not wrong by themselves. They become a problem when we make an idol of these things, thinking ourselves so highly that there is no room for God.
Pride in the Bible there are many passages in the bible that talk about pride. When you look at all of them together, there are common threads that can be highlighted by a few key verses.
Pride sets the stage for ruin. "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." In Proverbs 16:18, it says an inflated ego is at risk of being popped, and those who place themselves on high set themselves up for a greater fall. If you allow yourself to take too much pride, eventually reality will come around and smack you in the face.
Pride deceives the heart. "For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself." In Galatians 6:3, it says Those who don't believe won't understand this verse. They likely don't see the pervasiveness of sin in this world, or the depths of human depravity, and are unaware that "no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law" in Romans 3:20, it says Humans are fallen creatures. If in pride we think we're righteous, good, or powerful, we are deceive ourselves.
Pride is atrocious to the Lord. "Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured he will not go unpunished." Prov. 16:5, says if pride is a seed, then arrogance is the sprout. The longer we are proud of something, the more likely we are to start comparing ourselves to others. If we are still proud even after comparison, in our minds we have subconsciously judged ourselves to be better. This is the opposite of Jesus' message. He is the son of God, yet he did not think himself better than others.
If this pride is the worst of the seven deadly sins, then humility, it's opposing virtue must be extremely important. Humility is a vital part in maintaining a relationship with God. The bible, especially in Proverbs, constantly tells of this virtue's importance. "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom"; "One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor." Prov. 11:2; 29:13. There are many verses on humility, but the point is that those who humble themselves will be exalted and in turn those who exalt themselves will be humbled.
People who are too proud are less likely to accept advice or instruction. "Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray." Prov.10:17 Failure to accept our weakness or shortcomings will prevent us from growing. Obadiah 1:3 states, "The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, who who say to yourself, 'Who can bring me down to the ground?'"
The proud think themselves at the top, so why should they listen to those "below" them? What if they refused to hear the gospel and the way to salvation? My Brothers and Sisters pride can prevent us from accepting our fallen nature and need for a savior, which is why it's worse than any act of lust, greed, wrath, gluttony, envy, or sloth.
Brothers and sisters, now I want to talk about "Good Pride," What does it mean to have good pride in the Lord? Let’s take a look at three key ideas.
1. Good pride is rooted in humility. Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but with humility comes wisdom.” Good pride requires us to humble ourselves before God and recognize that we are not the center of our own universe. As humans, we tend to think that our own thoughts, feelings, and desires are the only ones that matter. But when we take the time to recognize that God is in control and put ourselves in a position of submission to Him, then we can gain wisdom and understanding that will enable us to have good pride in His ways.
2. Good pride is rooted in obedience.
Deuteronomy 28:1-2 states, “If you faithfully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.” Good pride means that we are willing to obey God’s commands even when it is difficult or inconvenient. We must recognize that in order to experience the blessings of His presence, we must be willing to submit to His will.
3. Good pride is rooted in gratitude.
Psalm 100:4 states, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” Good pride requires us to be thankful for all of the wonderful things that God has done for us. We must recognize that we are not entitled to any of God’s blessings and be grateful for all that He has done for us. Gratitude is a key component of good pride because it helps us to remember that all of our blessings come from Him.
Brothers and sisters, today I urge you to embrace good pride by humbling yourself before God, obeying His commands, and being thankful for all He has done for you. Good pride is not about feeling superior or puffing ourselves up—it is about recognizing our dependence on Him and living our lives in a way that honors Him. As Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” So let us strive to have good pride in the Lord and seek Him daily so that He may lead us on the right path.
"Go placidly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there may be in silence."
Our website contains links to affiliate websites and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchase made to the affiliate website by clicking the links in our website. Learn More. Our reviews are not affected by participation in such programs.
Join us in spreading God's love and compassion to those in need.
