The Deception of Pride

I believe the number one obstacle to our witness is not our disobedience but our pride. C.S. Lewis wrote: "There is one vice of which no man in the world is free: which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine they are guilty of themselves...it was through pride that the devil became the devil. Pride leads to every other vice; it is the complete anti-God state of Mind."  I go further and say that pride is so deceptive that even Christians fall prey to it's influence!

"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom" ~ Proverbs 11:2 (NIV).
What are some areas that can lead to pride?  - (Read Luke 18:9-14)

• Who I am or am not
• What I do or don't do
• What I have to offer
• or even how humble I am!

Some areas of pride may even surprise you. For instance, you can be proud of your poverty and/or disability. You may take pride in your knowledge or principles. James 4:10 "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up." Anything that takes away the glory of God and points it to us is pride. Remember Uzziah when he was filled with the pride of his own strength and went into the temple to burn incense on the altar (a job strictly assigned to the Levites) and the Lord struck him with leprosy on his forehead. Consider also how Hezekiah humbled himself before the Lord when he realized his pride and repented to God. The Lord healed him and Hezekiah and all of Jerusalem was saved from the wrath of the Lord. Or consider King Nebuchadnezzar who spent seven insane years eating grass like an animal after he boasted in his own might.

I recognize my own pride in my life. Knowledge is my biggest source of pride. Learning has always come easily to me and I relish in answering the questions first. I wasn't doing this to belittle others but let's take a look at this further. If I am always offering up my opinions and answering the questions than I am losing out on the insights and wisdom of others and others may feel less about themselves because of my pride in the knowledge and wisdom that didn't even com from me - it is a gift of God. I am learning to be silent first now. It is tough because for far too long I have spoken up. Now, I am working on my listening skills.

We too, fall victim to pride. Therefore, let us recognize this in ourselves and humble ourselves before the Lord. "We often talk about whether we can trust God, but our concluding question is, Can God trust us? Can He trust us with power, insight, and influence as He did Daniel? Or will our pride get in the way? ~Joy Olander 2008.