That sells PRIDE short. Pride is the chief obstacle to spiritual breakthru. People fear being real. Fear being genuine. Fear being vulnerable. They fear being spit upon, stoned, beaten and humiliated.
I don't like it either. But this morning...it came to me. I heard the Lord say:
Set aside your pride. Don't worry about yourself. Even in the face of rejection or failure, move ahead in me and I will direct your paths. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Lay it all down and I will show you what to pick up. There is none like ME...you might gain the whole world and lose your soul...many have, they were possessed by pride, not by Me.
I believe that it is fair to say, every failure, every destroyed life, every closed church had at it's center a prideful heart.
Let's be sure we don't carry the ONE THING GOD PUT ON HIS LIST OF THINGS HE HATES!!
Proverbs 6:16-19 There are six things the LORD HATES, seven that are DETESTABLE to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.
Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
•• Shortened by many to “Pride goes before a fall.”
• A pastor who fell into adultery once told me: “I thought I was doing a good enough job God would overlook it.” Pride before a fall!
• Another minister was heard to say not long before he fell into sin and disgrace: “This is the most anointed ministry on the face of the earth today.” Pride before a fall!
• A young man said to a pastor friend of mine, “I’m having trouble with pride.” My friend succinctly and wisely replied, “Why? What do you have to be proud about?”
•• The fast track to a fall? — Pride
• Contrast Jesus' Beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3).
• God hates pride.
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