Me, Myself and Pride

I - Introduction

Pride is universal—something we all deal with, ancient as humanity and relevant as the morning coffee.

We don’t always see it, for it grows like weeds around our lives.

We see it in the obvious ways, someone else.

Is an ingredient to our actions.

But we can be blind to its deceptive, subversive presence in our hearts.

We know the disease, but we don’t recognize the symptoms.

II - What is pride?

Good: is a response to something that has en emotional value to us.

Bad: the desire to receive the praise and attention.

a. Is in our flesh

It requires self-awareness

Genesis 3:10 ESV

And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”

b. The original sin is the love of one’s excellence

Ezekiel 28:14–17 ESV

You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you.

Arrogance, Self Exaltation, Pridefulness

Iniquity, Wickedness, Unrighteousness

c. Is self-centeredness

Is wanting to be exalted instead of God.

We are so full of yourself and yet entirely empty.

Isaiah 14:12–15 ESV

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.

d. Is the wreck of our souls

Proverbs 16:18 ESV

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

e. Is in our nature..

The flesh is overtly arrogant, bossy, boastful, lustful, cynical, and proud. But when is led into a corner by the power of the Holy Spirit it can assume a righteous demeanor and become pious, religious, scrupulous of morals, zealous for church work, and outraged by wrongdoing, becoming suspiciously evangelical!

The flesh can distribute tracts, give large sums of money, offer a moving testimony, teach a Bible class, sing, or preach a sermon. It can even make excuses, and appear to be sorry, or suffer and play the victim. But there is one thing the flesh will never do: give ground. It will do everything possible to survive, but will never surrender or change; never!

Is slippery and elusive, and when cornered simply dons another disguise and reappears in another form, but it is still the same old, fatal, evil flesh. - Pastor Ray Stedman

III - Let’s Identify Pride

Pride of Appearance

Think their beauty makes their SELF superior to others

Flaunt their figure/physique so others will praise them

Work hard to avoid the appearance of aging

Often post photos or videos of themselves exercising

Pride of Spirituality

Super Humble - Rejects God’s blesssings

Brags about how NOT materialistic they are

Tells everyone, “I gave up a high paying career to ministry”

Makes excuses for “life” blessings

Super Christians - Despises sinners

Spiritualizes every conversation

Speaks with a different voice/accent/vocabulary when they pray in public

Talk about how much they pray or fast

Looks down on or badmouth Christians or other denominations who believe differently than they do

Pride of Knowledge

Unteachable - Old chistian, same excuses

Get irritated if someone tries to teach them something

Know it all

Too smart for education or training. “But what could I learn?”

Highly Opinionated - Knows what’s wrong with everyone and everything

Often interrupt people mid-sentence “I don’t mean to interrupt, but…”

Often try to prove people wrong

Don’t listen to the ideas or wisdom of those they lead

If questioned they say, “Don’t you think I know what I’m doing?”

Defensive - Retaliates to divert the attention

Attack back when questioned or confronted about a mistake or wrong

Refuse to or are slow to say, “I was wrong. Will you forgive me?”

Blame everyone else but themselves

Lie or make up excuses when corrected or criticized

Argumentative - Just have to be right

Doesn’t discuss differences to learn from others, just to show off how much they know

"Told you so". Remind you about when they were right and you were wrong

Get the last word

Argues about strange, hard to defend beliefs or doctrines to impress with their intellect

Critical - Highlight other’s flaws to make their SELF look better

Quick to correct or criticize spouses, kids, pastors and other leaders

Criticize with no intention of building up or improving the situation

Negative and complain a lot

Don’t show much mercy

Pride of Power

Controlling - Being obeyed gives their SELF a sense of power

Pay the consequences for their kid’s irresponsibility

Manipulate to keep their adult children close

Try to control or sway their adult children’s marriages

Use women and keep them hanging on

Legalistic - Control through excessive rules

Don’t want kids to rebel mostly so that the parent’s SELF or Image isn’t tarnished

Must have the appearance of spirituality in strict dress codes and grooming

King James Version is the only version you can read (huge red flag)

Hold to a few chosen Old Testament laws

Won’t submit - It makes their SELF falsely feel inferior if they have a positional leader

Want the autonomy to decide how to live their life, so won’t submit or surrender to God.

Hate being told to do anything

Church members won't submit to church leaders

Self Reliant - Don’t want or think they need guidance, help or wisdom from God or man.

Hate to rely on others

Think their abilities are superior to others

Don’t let others make decisions

Are bothered when a decision is made without them

Excessive need for credit, praise or admiration

Hungry to be made mention of for accomplishments, service or selflessness

Takes credit for things they didn’t do

Hate sharing the spotlight

Shoot down or don’t share other people’s good ideas

Importance - Their worth grows with accomplishments, status, wealth or success.

People who exploit others to get rich

Think their worth to God is based on their sacrifices of time, family or money

Think that everybody needs their help

Workaholic - Believes work gives their SELF more worth

Believe that the value of their SELF is based on performance

Volunteers for everything

People pleaser

Grandiosity - Think they are superior to the common man

Condescending and disdainful attitude toward people.

Have a strong sense of personal uniqueness or coolness

Believe that their SELF can only be understood by very few and special people

Boastful and arrogant

Skillfully brag about their successful ministry, in a humble sounding way

Think they’re above certain tasks

Feel entitled to good treatment

Inconvenience others - The world revolves around them

Feel powerful when people have to wait on them.

Inconsiderate. Don’t consider other people’s time

Not interested in other people

Rarely ask questions of others because they’re more interested in their SELF than in the SELF of others

Dominate conversations talking about their SELF thinking or how much they know SO THAT we're impressed with their SELF

Wait to be served instead of serve

Low SELF-esteem or SELF-worth - Humility is seeing your true worth without God.

Feels inferior and unworthy of God’s blessings

Constantly dating abusive people

Put their SELF down so that others affirm and build them up

Often say that they’re ugly

Shyness - Social isolation

Are afraid of not being liked

Are afraid of being criticized

Are afraid of being rejected again

Are afraid of embarrassing themselves

Highly Sensitive

Read into innocent remarks as demeaning, threatening or critical

Can’t accept good natured teasing

Have a hard time forgiving

Are offended when their idea, ability or motive is questioned

Envious - Think that when others have things they don’t, it makes their SELF look bad.

Constantly compare themselves to others

Bothered when someone equal to them has success

Sabotage those close to them so good things or success won’t happen

Believe other people are envious of them

Depression - There are a lot of legitimate medical and traumatic reasons for depression.

Focus on SELF and believing what’s not true about their SELF is a very common one.

Pride is a major cause of depression for hundreds of millions of people.

IV - How do We Deal with Pride?

Maintaining the right perspective about ourselves

Jesus vantage point: The Cross

Considering others more important

Learning to receive compliments well

Asking God to humble you

Remembering WHAT I am: a sinner

What I was: sins we’ve been delivered from

What I could be now: if God had not stopped you

What I still am: research your own heart

What I could still be: if God removed His restraining grace

What I will become : as i enter His presence to live in eternity

Sources

What Unhealthy Pride Looks Like, Ronald MacDonald

Pride Will Kill You, Brooks Szewczyk