How many times have you heard someone say, “Pride goes before a fall?”
It’s a summary of Proverbs 16:18, and it’s just as true and relevant today as when it was written so many years ago.
But what is pride?
It’s living out of our own strength and resources instead of allowing the life of Christ to be our strength.
Pride is what got Satan removed from his position in heaven, and it’s what we are steeped in at birth.
Pride leads us to live independently from God.
We decide what’s ‘best’ for us with no regard for Him.
The theme song for pride is My Way by Frank Sinatra.
The song tells of a man who looks back over his life and proudly declares that he did things his way.
Beloved, that kind of life will only end in destruction …ours and perhaps others near us.
Peter tells that God is opposed to the proud.
This means that He is on the opposite team so to speak.
The one who is walking in pride is actually fighting against God.
That’s not a good idea.
Believers can walk in pride as easily as unbelievers.
We can try to live the Christian life in our own strength by simply checking off our ‘to do’ list.
But if I am flying through my Christian life just trying harder to do what the Bible says and to not sin, I am walking in self-reliant pride and not in His grace.
When we learn to humble ourselves before God and admit that we can’t live the Christian life in our own strength, we are in a position to have Him pour grace upon grace into us and through us.
This was the mind that was in Jesus.
He did nothing apart from the Father.
He was depending on the Father to direct Him and the Spirit to sustain Him.
This is the mindset that we need to maintain as well.
As we are lead by the Spirit, we are to do all things with the mindset of Jesus doing it through us for His glory.
This is what we are created for and this is the mindset that brings life and peace.
So, beloved, let’s set our minds on depending on Jesus to do all things through us today for His glory as we stand firm on the Rock of our Salvation.
Blessings!
Robyn Henning