“Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness… are mere fleabites in comparison… Pride leads to every other vice.” -C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Pride keeps you from admitting you’re wrong. It keeps you from admitting you need help. It keeps you from admitting your weaknesses. It causes you to say things to impress people who aren’t even paying attention to you. It causes you to feel good when others fail. Pride causes you to spend money that you don’t have to impress people who don’t care. 

 

Pride causes you to see yourself as bigger and more powerful than you really are and turns you into a legend but only in your own mind. When the truth is that pride makes you smaller and rather than lifting you up it reduces and tears you down. Pride reduces your ability to listen and enhances your ability to talk. It reduces your ability to compliment but increases your ability to brag. But worst of all pride reduces your ability to give and receive love. 

 

Bible Reading:

Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. – Proverbs 18:12 NIV

 

When pride takes control of your life it’s just a matter of time before it brings you down. There’s a better way, it’s the path of humility, and this is the road that leads to honor. But the path of humility will require you to apologize when you’re wrong, it requires that you pre-decide to forgive before forgiveness is even requested. It will require you to speak up when your words will build up and to be quiet when they will tear down others. Humility will require you to consider others before yourself.

 

THINK ABOUT IT: 

Pride will tear you down but humility will lead to honor. That being said, I’ll leave you with a few questions to think about: 

1. How does pride manifest itself in your life?
2. How would you act differently if you allowed humility to take over? 

 

PRAY:

Dear God, today I confess that I am proud. There are things in my life that manifest themselves in disguise, but I admit, that it is pride that is fueling my behavior in some areas of my life. I want to live a life of honor. I want to make humility the foundation of all of my actions in every area of my life. I pray that you would lead me down the path of humility, teach me to forgive, to give, to lift up, but more importantly teach me to love because I know per your word, that love covers a multitude of offenses, even my own. Thank you for your word, your wisdom, and for the living example that I have in Jesus Christ. I pray this in his precious name, amen.