Welcome back to the final study! Today we’ll study how to identify pride, and how to eradicate it from our lives. We also have more revelations from the Holy Spirit to unpack. I can’t wait to get to!
Before we jump into the study, we should remember this…
Loving others is how you work on yourself. Loving God is humility. That’s the power of love that will never fail.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 NKJV
17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
Those who are rich, that’s you! Surprised? You shouldn’t be… Let’s look why that’s you.
2 Corinthians 8:9 NKJV
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
Congratulations, you are rich! You might say, “No, I’m not… it says might.” Yes, it says might, because you might be saved. You might except Jesus. You might have the gospel preached to you. Jesus became poor for you, so you CAN be rich. If you aren’t rich that’s between Him and you. But you are seen as rich or potentially rich by God. So, what are WE, the rich, charged with?
1. Not to be haughty
2. Not to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
3. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works,
4. Ready to give
5. Willing to share …that they may lay hold on eternal life.
You might think that you don’t trust in uncertain riches, but yet we do! Those that have money can pay good doctors, afford pills, herbs, vitamins, and other healthy things. Those that have a vehicle, we trust it to get us from place to place. Personal safety in the modern world is very different. We trust in our heavy-duty doors with locks, some people security cameras, some guns or weapons, and often we trust in police and military protection. Trust is a modern word that I don’t care to use, but thinking in terms of the ancient world, they HAD to have God’s grace and protection for their health, when they loaded a donkey or traveled on foot, and for their personal safety. The more money a person has, the less he has to trust in God; or better said live by faith. When we do it our way, and have God as the LAST LINE of defense, it’s arrogant. We’re sadly blind to this truth.
If you think about it, the wealthier countries see less miracles from God. People from the United States go on mission trips and often times come back glowing from the work God has done. They normally attribute it to, “Americans aren’t hungry enough.” Mm… maybe, but that’s not in the word! We trust in our riches, which is actually pride. We don’t even reflect on how we need God to protect our home, because of the door lock, deadbolt, camera, and multiple guns or pepper spray. People get sick and think doctor or have an emergency and think ambulance. That’s accidently arrogance on our part, and it’s causing God to resist us. It’s our way of life, but we’ll casually drop a, “Yeah, God protects me,” but we live by a lot of faith in the door locks and police response time, doctors, medicine, paychecks, banks for loans, free items, discounts, sales, judges, court systems, and the list goes on and on…
I know this is a lot to take in, I know it’s difficult to read, but just making the mindset changes can allow your Heavenly Father to pour an unspeakable amount of grace out in your life like never before.
Continuing on from 1 Timothy 6, do good, be ready to give, and willing to share. Those are also descriptions of humility, and that means doing things God’s way. Really quick, just giving to a homeless shelter online in a heavily poverty-stricken area can easily help you fulfill that scripture.
We can’t overcome pride, unless we can point it out. I’m going to skip through this quickly, and the Holy Spirit do His work in you. He’s the One Who has to shine the Light of Truth in your heart to help you move into more grace.
Speak to The Holy Spirit about…
– Are you proud about your children, or well pleased with them
– Are you proud about your accomplishments or happy God has placed teaching in your life
– Do you have to speak up when you know something, or quietly listen to others
– Do you feel like you deserve honor on special days, like birthdays, or can you be happy as if it were any other day
– Do you feel like you have to constantly lead people or correct the leader if they’re not doing it right, or can you stay silent and do things someone else’s way
– Do you often talk or post online about yourself, or can you talk about everything except you
– Can you listen without interrupting, or can you wait until people finish
– Are you intolerant of people that know less than you concerning your skills or do you just look on them in love
– When someone is more successful at something you’re trying to achieve, does it make you want to put them down or learn from them
– Does it agitate you when people don’t take your advice, or can you keep a peaceful heart
– Can you just say, “I’m sorry,” when you’re wrong, or do you feel it needs a “but”
– Can you admit you’re wrong without an explanation, and say, “No excuse”
– Do you have to constantly correct someone’s doctrine over things that don’t matter, as this error doesn’t lead to death or destruction, or can you just let The Holy Spirit do His work in His time
I know it’s a huge amount of information to reflect on, but remember we don’t want to have anything in common with Satan and we don’t want God resisting us. There is nothing, NOTHING, in this world worth being proud over when you stand before the Lord.
If you do find some pride in your friends’ or family’s life, what do you do? Nothing! Hehehe Be the light of Christ. Nothing angers pride more than when you call it out on an unwilling person. If it’s your children, then it’s your job to correct them and teach them to be humble.
If we find pride in our own life, we can kick it out. We do that by recognizing the Lord and being thankful. “Thank You, Lord, that you’ve given me children that are pleasing. Thank You, Lord, that you’ve placed good teaching in my life and abundant grace to understand. Thank You, Lord, for making me creative. Thank You, Lord, for giving me skills that I enjoy using. Thank You Lord, that my birthday is a day to honor You and the life that you have given me. Thank You, Lord, that I have great peace no matter who believes what doctrine or thinks what of me.”
Being thankful and acknowledging God will stop pride in its tracks every time. When you do something kind for someone, acknowledge that the Holy Spirit directed you or it’s the work of God in your life. Don’t let them sing your praises on and on, because it takes away from God’s glory and you’ll lose your Heavenly reward. Wouldn’t you much rather have the Father, The King of Heaven, say great things about you than mere men? We read in the previous study that Jesus said in Mark 18:18, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” If you believe Jesus told the truth, then all your good works are from the Lord anyway.
If you really want to boost your humility, stay busy on God’s Plan for your life. It will give you a spiritual understanding that it’s His work in your life.
Always remember this when it comes to pride and humility…
Loving others is how you work on yourself. Loving God is humility. That’s the power of love that will never fail.
Thank you again for studying the Word with me. Lord, please plant your scripture in our heart and grant us the understanding as we mediate on your Word. Reveal any pride in our lives so that we can dwell in the Secret Place of The Most Hight.
Christi
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