The Dangers of Pride in Your Faith

As someone who is extremely passionate and devoted to the things I love, I find that I can quickly become prideful and judgmental in perspective. This is a dreadful tragedy in my mind. Why? Because He must increase, but I must decrease.

When we take pride in ourselves – who have nothing truly worth priding over in comparison to the great God of heaven – we become blinded to God’s hand at work and create a barrier in our relationship with Him.

Be wary of the danger of pride in your faith.

Don’t Let Pride Bury Your Love

I speak from experience when I say pride can bury your love.

I have always been prone to prideful behavior; there is a certain pleasure in exultation and praise from others. One thing I have been particularly proud of, from a young age, is my desire for truth to be known. I have been praised for this passion my whole life and, therefore, understood it to be a good thing. And while the desire itself is not wrong, the pride in it can be quite hazardous.

If we are not careful, our self-seeking attitudes will override our love for others. A love which should be reflecting God and, therefore, selfless, and pure.

What good is it to be able to know right from wrong if you cannot express it in a compassionate way as Jesus did? Yes, there are times for direct confrontation, but pointing fingers, and indirectly priding oneself in the reality that you are in “the right,” is not the answer.

“Brothers, if anyone is caught in transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”—Galatians 6:1.

“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,” –2 Timothy 2:24-25.

Don’t let pride be the grave for the precious love you are called to reflect.

Afterall, confrontation and the message of truth should be performed for the sake of His glory.

He must increase, but I must decrease.

Always Be Ready to Learn…and to Listen

These past few weeks, especially, I have had several people speaking into my life with wonderful wisdom and advice. And yet? My pride has stopped me from truly learning from their experience and listening to them. There is a difference between hearing and listening.

Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Your pride may feel good, but if it impedes on your ability to listen to wisdom and instruction…it is anything but good. In fact, it makes you a fool.

Socrates once said, “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” While I do not agree with this entirely as there are certain truths we hold to in full hope and confidence. The assurance of heaven and Christ’s death and resurrection are examples of such. However, there is a ring of truth to the quote; there is always more to learn.

Everyone has different experiences and we, if we are willing, can learn from the experiences and life lessons of others.

When my grandma was a teenager, she missed a question on her driving test. But though she missed that question, her daughters and I, have not. Why? Because she remembered that mistake and made sure we knew the answer. That is an example of a minor situation, but if we do not learn to listen in the small things how will we listen when it really matters?

“Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.” –Proverbs 19:20.

Set aside your pride to learn and listen for His glory.

He must increase, but I must decrease.

Never Stop Trying to Grow in Humility and Grace

Sometimes I feel like growing and maturing spiritually is a perpetual task that I will never perfect. And, truthfully, I won’t. Not on this earth. I will be human for every day of this life. And while that does mean I will never be perfect, it does not mean I will never grow.

That goes for you too.

Never stop trying to grow.

Never stop trying to better reflect Jesus’ heart.

In Luke 22:24-30 the disciples start arguing over who is the greatest. Jesus interrupts this debate and says, “…Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.”

This took place during Jesus’ last supper with his disciples before His crucifixion; the supper where He also washed his disciples’ feet.

As believers in Christ, we are on this earth to serve Him and to bring glory to His name alone. If we are to reflect His love, we must live in compassion and humility. Jesus loved with a selfless love.  

Jesus died out of selfless love.

We are called to do the same.

It is very easy, especially in ministry, to become prideful of one’s “spiritual achievements.” For example, priding oneself over daily scripture readings, lives saved, etc. This is a huge misunderstanding of what it means to serve. We are not to minister to others, and God, for the sake of boasting in our own name, but for the sake of glorifying His!

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”—Mark 10:45.

He must increase, but I must decrease.

Boast in Christ Alone – the Only One Worthy of Praise

I challenge you (and myself!) to work on not becoming so haughty as to forget the glory of our great God. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.” Surely the Creator is worthy of honor and praise!

Let us boast in Christ alone. So that whenever someone applauses our name, we turn it to Him with the simple words, “yet not I, but Christ in me” (Galatians 2:20).

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” –John 3:30