A well-known Christian businessman who was visiting a church was asked to give his testimony. He said, “I have a fine family, a large house, a successful business, and a good reputation. I have plenty of money so I can support some Christian ministries very generously. Many organizations want me on their board of directors. I have good health and almost unlimited opportunities. What more could I ask from God?” As he paused for effect, a voice shouted from the back of the auditorium, “How about asking Him for a good dose of humility?” (Source unknown)
It’s such a difficult topic to preach because, everyone thinks that they are humble in their own way but only God knows what would trigger our pride? So here we go… If we think in our heart that this sermon is not for us and it is for the other person then it’s just a subtle way of saying that I am too proud to hear this out.
Ronald McDonald from Saddleback church gave us an excellent article and it’s like this:
A friend told me the other day that I’m a very prideful man, and I said to myself, “Dude’s just jealous”. So I told my wife what he said and she said, “Ah, come on. You’re a humble man. Seriously. You’re not cocky and flashy and arrogant and all that.” But later that same week, I was reading a book that said the most prideful people aren’t usually the bragging arrogant types. They’re the nice friendly helpful ones at work.
That got me to thinking that maybe my definition of pride wasn’t very complete. Now I really wondered, What are examples of pride? So, I googled “Signs of pride list” and “Spiritual pride” and couldn’t believe what I found. I was all over the list. I read about 40 articles and lists written by well-known psychologists, theologians, pastors and even the Wikipedia entry and consolidated them all here. I put them into 4 groups;
Pride of Spirituality,
Pride of Knowledge,
Pride of Power and
Pride of Appearance.
So I went back to my wife and said, “Hey honey, I think I found out the root of all of our problems in marriage and work and ministry and all that. ME!!! I’m the problem. Listen to this list of signs of pride that I found.” I started reading my list to her and she laughed and said, “Wow! You are prideful. I didn’t know that’s what pride looked like.” So I asked her to pray for me. And then said, “Oh, and there were some other signs that I found on the list.” Her jaw dropped as I read hers. She said, “Oh no! I didn’t realize I was so prideful either. Will you pray for me too?”
There are about 24 different categories one could be prideful in. Most people are pretty humble in most categories and just prideful in one or two. You’ll see your relatives, spouse, boss, employees, friends and president all over this list. But don’t forget this. Pride is one of the most destructive and heinous sins you can commit.
My dad used to say, “The reason we shouldn’t sin isn’t because the Bible says not to or because it’s wrong or because we could get caught or because it could mess up our future or because we’ll miss out on blessings. No! We should try not to sin because it hurts our relationship with God.
It’s just the way I am and you’ll just have to deal with it”. For you to know you have even a little bit of pride and not care about it, is to raise your fist in God’s face and say, “Hey God, I don’t care that I’m regularly walking and living in this sin of pride and I’m okay with not having all that great of a relationship with you either”. If that’s you, then watch out. God is resisting you and you have some humiliation coming, which is the process of becoming humble, because he loves you and those around you so much.
definitions of pride
Pride is being SELF-ish
Thinking excessively about SELF
Pride’s base is too much SELF-love
Thinking the worth of our SELF is higher than it actually is
SELF-worship
Preoccupation with our image or SELF
Pride is narcissism (in love with our image or SELF)
Pride is SELF-centered or EGO-centric (everything revolves around us)
Pride wants to keep the focus on SELF
SELF-ness
_____________________
Pride of Spirituality
_____________________
Brag about how NOT materialistic they are
Excessively give away nice possessions or money that God gives them
Tell everyone, “I gave up a high paying career to do this ministry”
Make excuses for the physical blessings in their life
Look down their SELF righteous noses at the wealthy or successful
Super Christians
Spiritualize every conversation
Speak with a different accent or voice about spiritual stuff
Think they’re more spiritual or righteous than others around them
Feel morally superior
Despise and detest sinners
Insist on having certain roles in the church that they’re disqualified or not qualified for, just to prove to people that they’re spiritual
Talk a lot about their spiritual gift of apostle or prophet, but not about the less public ones
Talk about how much they pray
Look down on or badmouth Christians or other denominations who believe differently than they do about spiritual gifts
Talk about their fasting SO THAT people know they’re fasting “When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive SO THAT people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward.”Matthew 6:16
_______________________
Pride of Knowledge
_______________________
Unteachable
Get irritated if someone tries to teach them something
Know it all
Answer “I know, I know” or “Yeah, I already knew that”
Too smart for a formal education or training. “But what could I learn?”
Highly opinionated
Often interrupt people mid-sentence “I don’t mean to interrupt, but…”
Finish other people’s sentences “I know what you’re going to say. You were going to say…”
Often try to prove people wrong
If questioned they say, “Don’t you think I know what I’m doing?”
Don’t listen to the ideas or wisdom of those they lead
Use big words and then explain them to you
Despise and detest people of other political beliefs
Defensive when corrected or criticized – If you ever get defensive in marriage, then you have pride and it has to be dealt with. We think the best defense is a great offense when our pride is hurt. “With pride comes only contention…”Proverbs 13:10
Attack back when questioned or confronted about a mistake or wrong
Struggle admitting a wrong
Defend their kids and attack anyone who addresses their kid’s wrong behavior (because they think it reflects bad on them)
Refuse to or are slow to say, “I was wrong. Will you forgive me?”
Blame everyone else but themselves
Set up excuses in advance so it isn’t their fault
Lie or make up excuses when corrected or criticized
Say things like, “Everybody makes mistakes. Heck, you make mistakes too”
Argumentative – Just have to be right
Don’t discuss differences to learn, just to show off how much they know
“Told you so”. Remind you about when they were right and you were wrong
Get the last word
Argue strange, hard to defend beliefs or doctrines to impress with their intellect
Critical – Highlight other’s flaws to make their SELF feel better
_______________
Pride of Power
_______________
Controlling – Being obeyed gives their SELF a nice feeling, sense of power
Legalistic – Control through excessive rules – their SELF feels really nice when they are obeyed
Won’t submit – It makes their SELF falsely feel inferior if they have a positional leader, though it has nothing to do with wisdom, knowledge or ability. Hate being told to do anything
Will submit in the little things, but not in the big things
Self Reliant – Don’t want or think they need guidance, help or wisdom from God or man. “When they were fed, they became satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; as a result, they forgot me!”Hosea 13:6
Excessive need for credit, praise or admiration
Importance – They feel that the value of their SELF grows with accomplishments, status, wealth or success. “By your great skill in trade you have increased your wealth, and your heart is proud because of your wealth.” Ezekiel 28:5
Workaholic – believes work gives their SELF more worth
Grandiosity – Think they are superior to the common man, in their essence, to the point that some even believe they are god-like
Boastful and arrogant “Proud men will be brought low, arrogant men will be humiliated…” Isaiah 2:11
Inconvenience others – the world revolves around their SELF. Self-centered, ego-centric, self-absorbed
Not interested in other people
Low SELF-esteem or SELF-worth – Humility is seeing your own SELF the way it actually is. Pride is not seeing your own SELF the way it actually is
Constantly thinking of their SELF and what others think about it
Feel inferior
Think they’re not worthy of a good spouse or job
Avoid successful or attractive people
Put their SELF down so that others affirm and build them up
Shyness – this isn’t about introvert or extrovert
Are afraid of not being liked
Are afraid of being criticized
Are afraid of being rejected again
Are afraid of embarrassing themselves
Highly Sensitive
Can’t laugh at themselves when they do something funny
Can’t accept good natured teasing
Have a hard time forgiving
Are offended when their idea, ability or motive is questioned
Quick to be angry
____________________________
Pride of Appearance
____________________________
Feel their appearance gives their SELF more worth
Think their beauty makes their SELF superior to others
Flaunt their figure/physique so others will praise them
Spend excessive time on hair, clothing, weight, body shape to impress
Anorexia or bulimia
Work hard to avoid the appearance of aging
Often post photos or videos of themselves exercising
Spend excessive time for their SELF to look good while neglecting family
For more information on pride, please visit: https://saddlebackleather.com/signs-of-pride
So now we know that we fall into one of these categories, whether we like it or not. We have pride in us. We are all sinful.
GOD’S VIEW ABOUT US
5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”[a]
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:5-11
We will look at two stories and how God dealt with their pride:
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized Acts 9:1-18
Paul here had the pride of power, pride of spirituality, pride of knowledge. And Jesus chose to visit him directly because he was so full of himself.
Pride blinds us – Paul became blind in his zeal to defend his people
Pride needs to fall like scales.
Only in submission, we will see God using us for His glory and not what I think I should be zealous about.
11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.
18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas[b] and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.
21 Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22 I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they praised God because of me.
Galatians 1:11 – 24
God always looks for humble people to work in His kingdom but we are not born humble. So what does God do? He breaks us to make us worthy of that calling. Pride resides in all of us. There’s no one who can claim that they are humble.
What makes me humble
1. Situations
2. People
3. Life
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment. Matthew 15:21-28
How do we view ourselves? Are we someone of importance? Do we crave approval and recognition? Or do we admit that we are “little dogs” who God has elevated to the awesome destiny of being his sons and daughters, a vocation that we could never deserve.
Only Jesus, himself humble
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Philippians 2: 3 – 13
Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus
Not considering equality for His advantage (come down from the cross, make stones to bread)
Obedience and submission
Acknowledge that it is God who is working in us to fulfill his good purpose.
Sandra wife of Virjil .The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.
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