[ecko_quote source=" Numbers 12:3]Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth[/ecko_quote]
It took 40 years of living like a shepherd (knowing that how the Egyptians despised shepherds!) to discipline Moses’s ego. Only then, at age 80, he was ready to live life on God’s terms. The man who emerged from the desert was decidedly different from the man who entered it. It’s our “desert experience” that keep our egos in check. Without them, we start believing our own press and get into trouble. God told King Saul, “when you were little in your own eyes, I was able to use you” (1 Samuel 15:17)
When Colonel Samuel Logan Brengle of the Salvation Army was once introduced as “the great Colonel Brengle”, he wrote in his journal; “if I appear great in their eyes, the Lord is most gracious in helping me to see how absolutely nothing I am without Him. He does use me. But I’m so conscious that He uses me, and that it’s not because of me that the work is done.
The axe cannot boast of the trees it has cut down. It could do nothing without the woodman. He made it, he sharpened it, he used it, and the moment he throws it aside it only becomes an old use iron. Oh, that I may never lose sight of this.
A young English man once came to live in the community led by Mahatma Gandhi. When assigned to clean toilets, he protested, “Don’t you know who I am? I have great things to do.” Gandhi replied, I know you can do great things; what I don’t know is if you can do little things”. Check your EGO!
The patience of Moses was tried in his own family, as well as by the people. The pretence was, that he had married a foreign wife; but probably their pride was hurt, and their envy stirred up, by his superior authority. Opposition from our near relations, and from religious friends, is the most painful. But this is to be looked for, and it will be well if in such circumstances, we can preserve the gentleness and meekness of Moses. Moses was thus fitted to the work he was called to do. God not only cleared Moses, but praised him.
Let Miriam and Aaron (type of people) consider whom it was that they insulted. We have reason to be afraid of saying or doing anything against the servants of God. And those are arrogant indeed who are not afraid to speak evil of dignities (2 Peter 2:10). The removal of God's presence is the surest and saddest token of God's displeasure.
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[ecko_quote source=" Proverbs 29:23"]A person’s pride will humble him but a humble spirit will gain honour[/ecko_quote]
Pride is the great enemy of the Christian. It motivates you to do things that you know are not Christlike, and it hinders you from doing what brings glory to God. Pride influenced Adam and Eve to try to become like God (Genesis 3:5). Pride motivated Cain to murder his brother (Genesis 4:5) Pride provoked Joseph’s brothers to sell him into slavery (Genesis 37:8). Pride caused King Saul to resent David so deeply that he even tried to murder him (1Samuel 18:8). Pride led King Hezekiah to foolishly reveal his nation’s wealth to his enemies (Isaiah 39:2), Pride was at the root of the Pharisees’ anger toward Jesus. Pride was the reason the disciples argued over rank in the Kingdom (Luke 9:46).
If you succumb to its influence, there will be consequences. You may know that you have offended someone, but pride holds you back from asking forgiveness. You may realise you need to reconcile a broken relationship, but pride will lead you to deny that need. The Holy Spirit may convict you that you are living a sinful lifestyle, but pride will discourage you admitting it. Pride will convince you that you deserve better treatment. Pride will impede your serving others. Instead, pride will have you striving for places of prominence. Pride will have you listen to flatters and ignore honest counsellors. Pride will lead you to isolate yourself so that you are not accountable to others.
Humility, on the other hand, is pleasing to God and places your life in a position where God will honour you. If pride has crept into some areas of your life, ask God to give you victory over it before it robs you of God’s will for you.
Source:Henry T Blackaby
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[http://paradoxbrown.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/curso-basico-3.jpg]
[ecko_quote source="Proverbs 16:18"]Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. [/ecko_quote]
I have seen many people, Pastors and Fellowships including Churches that have fallen apart because of various reasons. When you analyse these falls, you will see that the core problem is” Pride”. Lucifer (Satan) possessed the ability to choose his actions. He was a morning star, son of the dawn! And he who weakened the nations (Isaiah 14:12-13). Evidently, because of his beauty and splendour, he chose to rebel against God. His sin was a self-caused action that led to his losing his position, his place, and his possessions. Further, every subsequent fall was associated with pride. The ambition for power makes people blind, and power & pride always work together.
The scripture states that many Kingdoms had fallen, and Kings were utterly defeated because they allowed pride to reign their hearts. Today, we also can see in our Churches/ fellowships that people hunger for power and positions without even being spiritually qualified for that. They choose to go to any extent to gain that position. Even at the cost of their brothers and sisters who supported them wholeheartedly in their initial journey. In my early Christian life, I have witnessed one of my Pastors who had fallen from the grace of God for a wrong doing. Instead of confessing and forsaking it, he defended his actions when the congregation sought an explanation. I haven’t seen any progress of his ministry, but it declined rapidly. Now he regrets allowing such pride into his heart.
Did you know that Pride is the root of all sin? When Adam and Eve decided they knew better than God and went against His orders, that was pride. No longer humble, they wanted more. They wanted to be puffed up, and they wanted to be like God. The fall of man and fall of Lucifer are similar, and it was due to pride (Genesis 3:5; Isaiah 14:12-13). God hates pride. It is one of the seven deadly sins. Proverbs 6:16 says these six things doth the LORD hate: yes, seven are an abomination unto him a proud look, and that’s the ultimate result of pride.
Why is pride so sinful? Pride is giving ourselves credit for something that God has accomplished. Pride is taking the glory that belongs to God alone and keeping it for ourselves. Pride is essentially self-worship. Anything we accomplish in this world will not have been possible if it is not God who enabled and sustained us. “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” – (1 Corinthians 4:7). That is why we give God the glory—He alone deserves it.
“Pride is our greatest enemy; humility is our greatest friend.” So said the late John R.W. Stott. Make no mistake about it as it is the devil’s most effective and destructive tool. Humility which is our greatest friend increases our hunger for God’s word and opens our hearts to his Spirit. It leads to intimacy with God, who knows the proud from afar, but dwells with him “who is of a contrite and lowly spirit” (Isaiah. 57:15). It imparts the aroma of Christ to all whom we encounter. It is a sign of greatness in the kingdom of God (Luke 22:24–27).
Smith Wigglesworth, preacher and man of great faith who was used by God to do many miracles, signs, and wonders, said, “The way to get up is to get down.” We read in 1Peter 5:6 “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time”.
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[http://paradoxbrown.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/curso-basico-3.jpg]
