When we think about pride we think of being "showy" or bragging
about ourselves. We think of someone who always talks about
themself, their achievements etc...
As Christians, though, we have read this verse in Matthew 6:2 and
we think "I am not a show off". "I give and serve in secret" but
I must ask you today, WHAT IS THE TRUMPET OF YOUR HEART SAYING?
Let us get a revelation today, we cannot hide our pride from God. He hears the trumpet of our hearts even if nobody else does.
Some of the people we think are the most humble, can actually be the most prideful. Not because of how they act, what they say or do, but because of what is IN THEIR HEART; because of what they think and feel.
We can even have pride in our humble acts. For example, I can volunteer at the downtown mission, feeding people every week and be full of pride because I think "I am so humble, I feed these down and out people that are dirty and poor". I may never utter those words to another human being but I may feel and think them in my heart.
Paul warned the Romans (12:3)(Amp.) about pride and told them "...I
warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more
highly than he ought (not to have an exaggerated opinion of your
own importance)...".
This verse in the Amplified bible gives us a great definition of
pride: "having an exaggerated opinion of your own importance."
HOW CAN I KNOW IF I HAVE PRIDE IN MY LIFE?
You can know if you have pride by looking at its fruits. Jesus said in Matthew 12:33 that "a tree is know and recognized and judged by its fruit." (Amp.)
THE FRUITS OF PRIDE
1. PRIDE CAUSES US TO BE UNCHANGEABLE OR UNTEACHABLE.
* the bible says that knowledge "puffs up" if it's all you
have.(1Cor. 8:1)
* you cannot be corrected because you think you are never wrong.
* if you are wrong you will not admit it because that would be
humbling and you will look dumb to others.
* you cannot take advice from someone you feel is inferior to yourself.
For example; a boss can take advice from his employee, a parent
from a child or a teacher from a student.
2. PRIDE CAUSES US TO MISTREAT PEOPLE
Romans 12:16 says; "Live in harmony with one another; do not be
haughty (snobbish, high-minded, exclusive) but readily adjust and
adapt yourself to (people and things) and give yourselves to humble
tasks. Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own
conceits." (Amp.)
Pride does not think it has to adjust or adapt to anything or
anybody. It thinks everyone should accommodate them. Pride will
cause us to "sport a tude" with someone because they are not doing
what we want them to do.
I remember being rude and snobbish to a person that I thought was
less of a Christian than me. If she showed up where I was I would
think "she does not deserve to be here" and I would be rude and
ignore her or give her a nasty look.
Galatians 6:2-4 says:
"Bear(endure and carry) one another's burdens and troublesome moral
faults, and in this way fulfil and observe perfectly the law of
Christ and complete what is lacking (in your obedience to it). For
if any person THINKS himself to be somebody (too important to
shoulder another's load) when he is nobody (of superiority except
in his own estimation), he deceives and deludes and cheats
himself. But let every person carefully scrutinize and examine and
test HIS OWN conduct and his work..." (Amp.)
We see here that pride is not only what we do and say, but is also what is on the inside of us- what we think and feel.
Pride will cause us to mistreat people. Instead of examining ourselves carefully as Paul is telling us to do, pride examines everyone else, will a fine toothed comb and a magnifying glass. We then end up being critical and judgemental with others and we act rude towards them.
This is what happened with me, in the above example. I was being rude and mistreating another child of God because I thought I was better than her. I mean, it got so bad that I would watch every little move she made, and wait to pounce on her as soon as she did or said something I did not like. Thank God, He finally began to deal with me and had me "scrutinize" myself instead of her. For a season, as the Lord worked this thing in me I could not go where I knew she was and had to avoid her. Today, I can honestly say I see this person more through the Lord's eyes than I ever have and she is not treated differently than anyone else in the room.
We can even mistreat people by being IMPATIENT with them. We say
and think things like;
"Can't you move any faster?"
"Why can't you be where I am spiritually?"
"How long is it going to take you to get free of that thing? I've been free for years".
We will look down and snub someone else because we think we are better than they are. It's like "I've arrived and you haven't"
Take a minute and ask yourself...
Who do you most often gossip about, talk negatively about?
This is the person you probably feel superior to.
How do you feel about this person? What is the trumpet of your
heart saying?
3.PRIDE CAUSES JUDGEMENT
Judgement is seeing other's wrong and "my" right.
Romans 2:1 says "Therefore you have no excuse or defense or justification, O man, whoever you are who judges and condemns another. For in posing as judge and passing judgement on another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge are habitually practising the very same thing (that you censure and denounce)." (Amp.)
How is that for an "ouchie"? Paul is saying we do the VERY SAME THINGS we are judging other people for.
Pride causes us to judge in many different areas. For example, we are good in the body of Christ at bashing other churches that are different than the one we attend.
We have to realize that each church has its own flavour and vision. All churches have faults and just because one church's strength is another church's weakness, does not give us a right to judge them.
4. PRIDE CAUSES US TO CONSTANTLY WORRY ABOUT WHAT OTHERS THINK
ABOUT US.
*You can constantly be fussing with your hair, make up and clothes,
thinking on the inside of you "Do I look good?"
* Pride says "I am not going to pray aloud in front of these people because I might look dumb."
* Pride does not want to be seen in public with certain people. You will visit them in their home but you would not want to go to a restaurant with them. (Maybe its the way they smell or lack manners etc...)
5.THE ULTIMATE FRUIT OF PRIDE.
You have to ask yourself "Do I judge
someone for their pride?" Are you thinking as you read this
teaching, "Mary could use this teaching?"
The ultimate fruit of pride is judging others for their pride.
CONCLUSION:
Paul said in 1Corintians 15:10 "I am what I am by the grace of God." (niv)
PRIDE DIES when we realize apart from God we can do nothing.
Philippians 2:4-5 says; "Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not (merely) his own interests, but also each for the interests of others. Let this same attitude and purpose and (humble) mind be in you which was in Christ; (Let Him be your example in humility)."
You see, dear friends, this is our challenge. This is the goal we must strive to obtain in our Christian walk; to walk as Jesus Himself walked. To see people as He saw people.
Take some time to get before the Lord and ask Him to examine the "trumpet of your heart". Repent for the sin He shows you and be empowered by His Holy Spirit to live and act in humility.
We must continually seek the Lord for His heart for people. We must seek until we get a revelation that we are what we are because of Him.
We sing a song that says; "it's all about You Jesus, and all this is for You, for Your glory and Your fame. It's not about me..."
This must be the trumpet that sounds from our hearts. God bless you as you seek to walk as He walked in humility and love.
