Pride happens when we get caught up in trying to get other people to 'admire', 'like', 'love', or 'accept' us. We try to dodge rejection from others at all cost. In other words, through our insecurity, we try to 'coerce' or 'force' others to 'admire', 'like', 'love', or 'accept' us.
When we realize that God's love IS ALL WE NEED and that His love truly satisfies our need for acceptance, insecurity (which feeds pride) melts away from us. The more we realize and experience God's love (through Jesus Christ), the less insecure we become. We need to be open to receive God's love as we truly seek Him from our hearts. His love can bring us total security, to the point where we become FEARLESS.
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love." I John 4:18
Pride is a 'defense mechanism' for feelings of rejection. Pride and arrogance are feelings we allow ourselves to fall into because of the delusion that somehow others (anyone but God) will completely satisfy our need to be accepted and loved. This will never happen! We completely lose sight of our need for God's love.
Pride will always say, "Are you rejecting me? Well, I'll show you!!" And on and on we try to get other people's attention to prove a point, or try to be right and make ourselves look better than our neighbor. At the same time your neighbor is likely feeling the same thing toward you, and as a result you get striving and contentions, bitterness, envies and jealousies! THIS IS A COMPLETE WASTE OF ENERGY, causing unnecessary stress as we try to 'prove' something to others!! This is the fast track to 'aging' and eventual 'death'.
"Where do wars and fights among you come from? Come they not from your lusts that war in your bodies? You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not. You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts. You adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do you think that the scripture says in vain, 'The spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy? But God gives more grace. Therefore He says, 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. Speak not evil one of another, brothers. He that speaks evil of his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law, and judges the law: but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge." James 4:1-11
Parents, learn to love your children and impart unto them security! Be wise by teaching them (at the earliest possible age) to love God and seek Him with all their hearts. It will likely avoid delinquency from taking root in your children, and save you from much heartache later in life.
The more self-sufficient/self-reliable a person perceives himself/herself to be, the prouder he/she becomes. That person loses sight of God and the ability to completely trust God with their lives and all things pertaining to life. This is why God always admonishes us to humble ourselves before Him at all times!
"If My people who are called by My name will HUMBLE themselves, and PRAY and SEEK MY FACE, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land". I Chronicles 7:14
God hates pride & arrogance. Try to avoid these at all cost! The best way to deal with pride is to spend time with God daily seeking Him and studying His Word. Learn to strengthen your faith in His love for you! Develop a strong faith that He does truly love you and accepts you unconditionally, and never lose sight of this fact!
When we realize that God's love IS ALL WE NEED and that His love truly satisfies our need for acceptance, insecurity (which feeds pride) melts away from us. The more we realize and experience God's love (through Jesus Christ), the less insecure we become. We need to be open to receive God's love as we truly seek Him from our hearts. His love can bring us total security, to the point where we become FEARLESS.
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love." I John 4:18
Pride is a 'defense mechanism' for feelings of rejection. Pride and arrogance are feelings we allow ourselves to fall into because of the delusion that somehow others (anyone but God) will completely satisfy our need to be accepted and loved. This will never happen! We completely lose sight of our need for God's love.
Pride will always say, "Are you rejecting me? Well, I'll show you!!" And on and on we try to get other people's attention to prove a point, or try to be right and make ourselves look better than our neighbor. At the same time your neighbor is likely feeling the same thing toward you, and as a result you get striving and contentions, bitterness, envies and jealousies! THIS IS A COMPLETE WASTE OF ENERGY, causing unnecessary stress as we try to 'prove' something to others!! This is the fast track to 'aging' and eventual 'death'.
"Where do wars and fights among you come from? Come they not from your lusts that war in your bodies? You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not. You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts. You adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do you think that the scripture says in vain, 'The spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy? But God gives more grace. Therefore He says, 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. Speak not evil one of another, brothers. He that speaks evil of his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law, and judges the law: but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge." James 4:1-11
Parents, learn to love your children and impart unto them security! Be wise by teaching them (at the earliest possible age) to love God and seek Him with all their hearts. It will likely avoid delinquency from taking root in your children, and save you from much heartache later in life.
The more self-sufficient/self-reliable a person perceives himself/herself to be, the prouder he/she becomes. That person loses sight of God and the ability to completely trust God with their lives and all things pertaining to life. This is why God always admonishes us to humble ourselves before Him at all times!
"If My people who are called by My name will HUMBLE themselves, and PRAY and SEEK MY FACE, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land". I Chronicles 7:14
God hates pride & arrogance. Try to avoid these at all cost! The best way to deal with pride is to spend time with God daily seeking Him and studying His Word. Learn to strengthen your faith in His love for you! Develop a strong faith that He does truly love you and accepts you unconditionally, and never lose sight of this fact!
