On Pride

This is from Charles Stanley's In Touch Daily Devotinal:

June 19, 2005 Keeping Grace Flowing
James 4:1-6

While you can never lose your salvation, you can dam up the grace of God in your life by your attitudes and behavior. Proverbs 6:16-17 states that God hates pride.
Dr. Don McMinn, in his book Spiritual Strongholds, defines pride as "inordinate self-esteem, vainglory, preoccupation with one's self."

McMinn lists some characteristics of pride: "selfish, ostentatious, showy, haughty, egotistical, vain, conceited, loves self, pompous, arrogant, immodest, contentious, narrow-minded, opinionated, loud, boastful, materialistic, demanding, moody, critical, reluctant to accept criticism, highly competitive, desire to always be in control, refusal to admit one's weaknesses,
inflated sense of one's abilities or opinion, inability to accept God's forgiveness."

McMinn's first recommended solution to pride is to develop humility: "At least three times the Bible instructs us to humble ourselves' (Matthew 18:4, James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:6), so humility can be self-induced. Humility involves confessing our dependence upon God and respect for other people. The Bible promises wisdom (Proverbs 11:2), good tidings (Isaiah 61:1), and honor (Proverbs 15:33) to those who are humble."

All other sins cry out, "I have a need." Pride is the only sin that cries out, "I need nothing. I can manage." And that is exactly why God hates it.


Pride is an area of weakness; it's something I struggle with on a daily basis. I constantly compare myself to others. At work, I constantly find myself wanting to be the best. For what? Not to glorify God, but for human praise. I don't like it, not at all.

I thought this devotion was good because it listed all the synonyms of pride. Selfish, moody, critical, reluctant to accept criticism, highly competitive, desire to always be in control, inability to accept God's forgiveness...these are the ones I struggle with the most.

Praise be to God that He delivers us...the Word says He hears the rightous and delivers them. Well, I certainly am not righteous, but by His blood we all are made to be righteousness.

God is good.

He is so faithful. Well, since I've been saved, my "religion" has been a big secret to my mother's side of the family. She didn't want anyone to find out. I've been scared for the almost 3 years that I've been saved to let my grandmother know. Well, I worried for nothing. Because my relationship with Stephen is growing :) my mother felt like she should "break the news" to my grandmother that I go to church. So she did this weekend. You know what my grandmother said? That she trusted me, and that it was my choice! Praise God! Now, it was flesh that kept me worried. I kept saying to God, "Lord, I don't care if it turns my family against me, then so be it...it has to be that way." When I said that, however, I said it with a lot of fear and uncertainty, like, I hope I can really feel like that. Maybe God just doesn't give me what I can't handle (did I say that right?)...but with Him, He becomes our strength. Jesus wants us to put Him first, you know? Before our family. And I can't worry about what is going to happen. But when my mother told me she was going to tell my grandmother, I had a peace. It's not about me, you know? Somehow I always make it so it is.

What is more important is the salvation of my grandmother. Please pray for her salvation. She is getting elderly and just had a chest infection...thanks to those who prayed for her.

God keeps blessing me in little ways (along with big). He's teaching me that I can't earn His grace, because I sure don't deserve what He does! I'm so used to legalism. I've been really serving God for 2 years now, and my thinking is still so legalistic!

We're all works-in-progress, I guess. I just struggle with the fact that I'm not perfect! :)