Pride

[gdemoss]

Good advice - "get over myself"... I'm beginning to think I need a 12-step. Am I over-thinking this?

Maybe I need a good spill on the floor, I don't know...

With the bible you have a 12 step as that is where it comes from. It is essential that a good church operate in such a way that 'ego deflation' is part of the core of the assembly. Washing one another's feet. We have something that Jesus didn't that enables us to be excellent ministers to those to whom we minister to, whether believer or unbeliever. We have experience with being actively in sin.

Eve ill or Evil is that which comes before sickness, whether it be soul sickness, physical ailment or spiritual malady. Evil is placing oneself before God when only God is to be placed before all things. Let God be true and every man a liar. We only have the ability to disagree with him because the 'eyes' of our understanding were opened and now we are capable of making moral judgments without first understanding what God says about it.

Even when we know exactly what God says about something we still have to temper our selves with the truth that we have fallen short ourselves and therefore must put away our stones when we are faced with righteous indignation.

Pride goes before the fall. If one does not put themselves before God but walks in the selfless divine nature as described by Peter then we can stand, that is until our britches get too big and we take our eyes off of Jesus.

Thank you for the discussion. I have been edified.

Peace is only in Christ.

[*Zion*]

I totally agree, Gary. Bless you, nice discussing with you too.

[JTC]

I'd say you lose your pride as you lose what you have on Earth. That means people and things. When your house is full you get prideful. As your house gets empty you become humble. When you think you know it all you're full of pride. As you realize you know nothing you become humble.

God can humble you in one day with a storm, or an Earthquake, a sinkhole, or anything that makes you lose what you have. So humble yourself before the Lord and everyone else, before he does it for you.

[Petra-Psalm118:8]

_{Pride, ego, arrogance all seem to go hand in hand like school chums. I think we all struggle with it at times. For me, to contemplate the opposite...being humbled, it helps too. For example, if I look around at Gods creation, I am humbled. When I see others with struggles greater than mine, I am humbled. When I try to imagine how powerful God is I am humbled. If I look around and realize we are all Gods children, I am humbled and feel shame for being judgemental, or feeling anger or for having unkind thoughts. And always I pray for forgiveness when I catch myself having these moments when I somehow think I am better or wiser than others. Maybe it's just a mental trick, but it works for me.}

Edited April 25, 2013 by Petra-Psalm118:8

[*Zion*]

Hi guys, thanks again for continuing to respond. I feel like I need God to do a deeper work than just on an intellectual level. Like I said before, I know I have absolutely nothing to be proud about. It's a heart issue, really. That's what I need to concentrate on concerning this matter.

[Fez]

Hi guys, thanks again for continuing to respond. I feel like I need God to do a deeper work than just on an intellectual level. Like I said before, I know I have absolutely nothing to be proud about. It's a heart issue, really. That's what I need to concentrate on concerning this matter.

Like I said before, I know I have absolutely nothing to be proud about.

Yes you do, every one of us does. We can be proud we passed a test, obtained a qualification, finished a home DIY project. We can be proud of our children's achievements, proud of a meal we cooked that people love. Proud of an artwork we created. There is a lot we can be proud about.

Biblical pride is another thing entirely. That we should ask the Lord to deal with. But not feeling proud about our achievements, and being too humble and self effacing is something satan loves us to feel.

Blessings!

[*Zion*]

Hmm, In

Hi guys, thanks again for continuing to respond. I feel like I need God to do a deeper work than just on an intellectual level. Like I said before, I know I have absolutely nothing to be proud about. It's a heart issue, really. That's what I need to concentrate on concerning this matter.

Like I said before, I know I have absolutely nothing to be proud about.

Yes you do, every one of us does. We can be proud we passed a test, obtained a qualification, finished a home DIY project. We can be proud of our children's achievements, proud of a meal we cooked that people love. Proud of an artwork we created. There is a lot we can be proud about.

Biblical pride is another thing entirely. That we should ask the Lord to deal with. But not feeling proud about our achievements, and being too humble and self effacing is something satan loves us to feel.

Blessings!

Hmm... Ok. Let me think/pray about that one.

[gdemoss]

Hi guys, thanks again for continuing to respond. I feel like I need God to do a deeper work than just on an intellectual level. Like I said before, I know I have absolutely nothing to be proud about. It's a heart issue, really. That's what I need to concentrate on concerning this matter.

Like I said before, I know I have absolutely nothing to be proud about.

Yes you do, every one of us does. We can be proud we passed a test, obtained a qualification, finished a home DIY project. We can be proud of our children's achievements, proud of a meal we cooked that people love. Proud of an artwork we created. There is a lot we can be proud about.

Biblical pride is another thing entirely. That we should ask the Lord to deal with. But not feeling proud about our achievements, and being too humble and self effacing is something satan loves us to feel.

Blessings!

Hi Fez, can you help me see this using the scriptures? It sounds good but I don't have anything coming to me from the scriptures to back it up. Thank you.

The one that comes to mind is that we are told it is OK to boast in that we know him.

[xero]

Ephesians 5:20 "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;"

Pride is vain but more importantly it is void of thanks to God.

Heres a good example:

Luke 18:9 "And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

Even though the Pharisee was "thanking" God he was really praising himself. Humble is the Way to God.

[*Zion*]

I agree with you, Xero! The worst kind of pride is spiritual pride. It's so deceiving. Therefore, devastatingly destructive. Not just to the proud one, but to those around they are supposedly ministering to. It degrades instead of edifies. Also, we lie only to ourselves if we think/say that we are never wrong, and that all others have got it wrong. Actually, when we do that we put ourselves in the place of God:

Romans 3:4

By no means! Let God be found true though every human being is false and a liar, as it is written, That You may be justified and shown to be upright in what You say, and prevail when You are judged [by sinful men].

When we insist that we alone have the truth we have lost the ability to learn from God. God will use other people in our lives to speak to us - He used a donkey for Balaam, and can can even make stones to cry out His praise if He wanted to. I hate to see spiritual pride in others. It really infuriates me, seeing as God made all people equal, and we only have the monopoly on truth when we are in complete agreement and submission to God and His Word. It shows me that these people aren't really interested in being part of the body of Christ and just want to be above everyone else. This is not love - people will know that we are His if we love one another, not if we're only seemingly right all the time. That's why I don't want any trace of pride in my life. I know I judge too, especially myself - anything that anyone else has critized me with I have punished myself with long before 1000 times worse. But this is not edifying or fruitful. God wants our best at all times, and we can't give it to Him if we ourselves are in the way.