Daily Bible Study – Immanuel experience…
LEARN and PRACTICE the WORD of GOD
How to overcome Pride?
(Continuation from yesterday)
II. Adopt a correct view of God
As we begin our attempts to know God better, we should admit one fact: God is beyond our ability to fully comprehend Him. “‘My thoughts are completely different from yours,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine’” (Isaiah 55:8). In the end, God remains a marvelous mystery.
Yet at the same time this God is a God who wants to be known. He reveals to us everything about Himself that we really need to know. And He bids us to come looking for Him. An honest search for Him is one that He readily rewards with a disclosure of Himself. He promises, “If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me” (Jeremiah 29:13).
When you have a distorted view of who God is, you will not give Him the reverence and respect that is due to Him. As a result, your arrogance will be free to develop until you suffer the consequences of your pride.
Consider some truths about God that will help you with your pride problem:
- God is infinitely superior to us. He is absolutely perfect and we are not.
Job 25:4–6 How can a mortal be innocent before God? Can anyone born of a woman be pure? God is more glorious than the moon; He shines brighter than the stars. In comparison, people are maggots; we mortals are mere worms.
- God has supreme authority over us. He determines our eternal future.
How foolish can you be? He is the Potter, and He is certainly greater than you, the clay! Should the created thing say of the one who made it, “He didn’t make me?” Does a jar ever say, “The potter who made me is stupid?” (Isaiah 29:16)
The Bible is our most comprehensive guide to the nature of God. It was “inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16), and so it preserves God’s own witness to who He is. It is His self-portrait. Above any other source, then, we need to find out what God says about Himself in the Bible. If we will take the time to study what Scripture says, we can arrive at a picture of God that certainly is not complete but that is more than adequate for our needs.
Moreover, we can trust that the God who appears in the pages of Scripture is the same God we are seeking to know better today. “I am the Lord, and I do not change,” He testifies (Malachi 3:6). What He says specifically about Himself in Scripture, and what He demonstrates about Himself through His actions recorded in Bible stories, reveals the real God.
III. Revise Your False Beliefs
All our thoughts are not correct, all our words are not correct, all our actions are not correct. First, make up your mind to change your mindful thoughts.
God wants His people to be living examples of His love to others. Yet pride is the single greatest obstacle to loving people. Reflect on your attitudes with the help of the questions that follow.
- Do you think you are better than others?
What gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift? (1 Corinthians 4:7)
- Do you think that you are indispensable?
By the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Romans 12:3
- Do you think that your accomplishments and position entitle you to special favor?
It’s not good to eat too much honey, and it’s not good to seek honors for yourself. (Proverbs 25:27)
Such beliefs are all self-centered, self-appreciating, and degrading to others. Yet your identity in Christ is not to be one of selfish ambition and pride but rather one of self-denial and grace-filled humility. Allow Scripture to inform your views of yourself, other people, and life in general so that you will not be proud in a sinful way.
If you tend to think too highly of yourself, focus more on the greatness of God. Undertake a Bible study on the nature of God, especially His majesty and power. Ask God to reveal Himself more clearly to you.
IV. Pride is a sin, so repent and confess
The hardest thing for a proud person to do is admit that he or she is wrong. Are you prepared to do that? If so, give your type of pride a specific name (conceit, vanity, or whatever).
The importance of repentance is hard to overstate. After all, Jesus’s first public exhortation was “Repent!” (Mark 1:15)—and if it was that high on Jesus’s list, we probably should pay attention too.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
How do we repent well? Psalm 32 is a wonderful place to explore the nature and process of deep repentance. Below are few vital steps.
- Be honest about your need for repentance.
- Acknowledge the danger of sin and damage of guilt.
- Confess fully.
- Hide in God.
- Be your hope in Jesus.
- Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Not 95%, but 100%. (Matthew 22:37)
- Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Be as eager for things to go well for him as you are for things to go well for you. (Matthew 22:39)
- Do all things without grumbling. No grumbling — inside or outside. (Philippians 2:14)
- Cast all your anxieties on him — so you are not being weighed down by them anymore. (1 Peter 5:7)
- Only say things that give grace to others — especially those closest to you. (Ephesians 4:29)
- Redeem the time. Don’t fritter away the minutes, or dawdle. (Ephesians 5:16)
- Prepare for a good confession
If you have harmed others with your sin, apologize to them. Seek reconciliation and offer restitution where appropriate.
Prayer: Abba Father, thank you for sending the Messiah, your only begotten Son to be my Savior. I believe in Him and have made this belief the center of my life. Because of this, by faith I have everlasting life! Thank you! I repent of my sins and of my past, freely admitting that I have fallen short of Your righteousness. I look fully forward to you in my life and commit my life to You. Thank You my God and Lord, my Heavenly Father for setting me free in the name of your Son Jesus. May it be as you have promised. Let me come out all forms of pride. I confess that it is a sin and help me not to fall into pride again. I reject the spirit of pride and I accept Jesus as my personal Savior. I pray by the name of Jesus