Pride

Pride

Pride builds walls between people; humility builds bridges.

Rick Warren

Pride distorts reality. It affects your ability to see yourself as you really are. Pride looks down on things and on other people—which keeps you from understanding My perception of you. You’ve wondered how you can have too much pride when you’re in so much personal pain. The truth is that you’ve been so concerned about keeping up the image of handling everything yourself that you haven’t been humble enough to admit your needs to others. Can a person without resources be prideful? Yes. Can someone without good health or ideal circumstances be filled with pride? Yes. Can an individual who has a relationship with Me be prideful? Yes.

Pride produces an “I can do it myself” attitude. Pride makes you more concerned with other people’s perception of you than with being open and honest about your life. A prideful person is defensive and judgmental, and the result isn’t pleasant. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18, NIV). Develop humility by having a correct view of Me. Ask Me to reveal Myself to you more clearly. Confess your pride as sin and practice grace-filled humility. Remember these truths: “Anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:4). “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor” (1 Peter 5:6). A spirit of humility always gets My attention.

I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice.

Psalm 51:17, MSG