Let's leave PRIDE to the lions!!!

I am going to openly admit to start this, that it has taken me a LONG time to start writing this one.  This one is a hard one because it hits home REAL hard! My battle with pride is a long standing one, I have always wanted to be known for something, stand out and have everyone looking at me.  I am a very proud human being! Truthfully, humility was something I made others show me.  It was (and still can be) a terrible way to live.

"Pride goes before destruction,
    and haughtiness before a fall." -  Proverbs 16:18 (NLT)

Let me assure you, the fall and destruction does come. It comes swiftly and it comes out of no where. I remember when my life crumbled around me, and I was on my knees, tears streaming out of my eyes with no idea what to do with myself, in fact I was blubbering and blabbering so badly I had no idea that my pastor at the time could even understand me. He looked at me and with tears in his eyes he said "Oh, so you have been humbled for the first time in your life?".  There is was, realization!

I had been humbled, oh how the mighty had fallen.  There I was, the braggart, the showoff, the "greatest of all time" on my knees begging for anyone, pleading for someone, to help me. 

^"You rescue the humble,
    but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them."  - 2 Samuel 22:28 (NLT)

This, my friends, I can assure you is true. I need to be humiliated and humbled before I was able to surrender myself to God and give up my pride and love for myself.

When filled with pride and when we are self seeking, we put ourselves first, we don't care about others, and do the things that just make us happy, at least I know that is true for me and my pride.

"They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God". - 2 Timothy 3:4 (NLT)

If we love ourselves first, then how do we love God first, how do we put Him first?

"In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success." - Proverbs 3:6 (TLB)

I know in my life that is what I want,  I want God to direct me and crown my efforts with success, how awesome is that statement? 

But we in order to do this we must seek His will first, putting aside our desires, our pride and taking the route He wants us to take.

 "Seek the Kingdom of God^[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need" -  Matthew 6:33 (NLT)

 

 Pride, truthfully, at least for me is really at the root of all all my perils.  Everything can almost be traced back to pride, I mean greed is just another means of showing how proud you are off all your stuff, gluttony is  the pride of food, lust is just sexual pride! Pride is what keeps us so connected to the earth, and earthly ways.  Lets be frank here, it was pride that cast the Satan from Heaven.

“You were blameless in all you did
    from the day you were created
    until the day evil was found in you. 

 Your rich commerce led you to violence,
    and you sinned.
So I banished you in disgrace
    from the mountain of God.
I expelled you, O mighty guardian,
    from your place among the stones of fire. 

 Your heart was filled with pride
    because of all your beauty.
Your wisdom was corrupted
    by your love of splendor.
So I threw you to the ground    and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings". - Ezekiel 28:15-19 (NLT)

So what better weapon for him to use then pride to make us fall from God? Over and over again, Jesus preached and taught humility, because it is when we humble ourselves that we are no longer bound to this world.

When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice:  “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited?  The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!

 “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests.  For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” -  Luke 14:7-11 (NLT)

But Jesus went further than just to teach or preach, humility, He humbled Himself, put aside the fact if you will that He is God humbled to man, and think about this Jesus (our Lord and Saviour) washed the feet of His disciples, to prove and display His humility. 

 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing?  You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am.  And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.  I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.  I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message.  Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them. - Luke 14:7-11 (NLT)

If Jesus Christ could humble Himself to wash the feet of His disciples, it becomes real tough to justify the pride I know I carry.  Especially since all the things we do have in this world are given to us by God, not of our own doing.

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.    The world and all its people belong to him. - Psalm 24:1 (NLT)

So then, if we do not own it, how can we take pride in it? It all belongs to God, and we are just His stewards.

God said it plainly truthfully, 

God blesses those who are humble,
    for they will inherit the whole earth. - Matthew 5:5 (NLT)

It really doesn't get much simpler than that! So take Tim McGraw's advice, it will probably take you pretty far in this world

Hold the door, say "please", say "thank you"
Don't steal, don't cheat, and don't lie
I know you got mountains to climb
But always stay humble and kind

Don't take for granted the love this life gives you
When you get where you're going don't forget turn back around
And help the next one in line
Always stay humble and kind 

PRAISE GOD!!!!