Your Spiritual Pride Is Showing

Pride is an interesting thing . . . it can be good. 

I’m proud of you. . .for the kind of person you are.

 I’m proud of you. . .for the decisions you make.

 I’m proud of you. . .for the things you’ve accomplished.

 I’m proud of you. . .for always striving to do the right thing.

 I’m proud of you. . .for who you are in Christ.

 Pride can also be a bad thing.

 If you think that the things you’ve been able to acquire, accomplish and accumulate are the result of your efforts alone . . . or that somehow these things make you better than anyone else. . .then your pride is misplaced, self-destructive and spiritually, a bad thing.

Proverbs 16:18 says:

 “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

 The root Hebrew word for pride in the Strong’s Concordance means: “to rise up, to grow up, to be lifted up, to be raised up.”

 I find it interesting that all the definitions have the word “up” in them. Pride is an act of self-elevation.   When something or someone is elevated or “up” without the basis of spiritual support, it will ultimately fall or go “down.”

 The Message Bible translation says:

 “First pride, then the crash—the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.”

 Pride is a mental process manifested through spoken words and actions of people who refuse to acknowledge the part God played in their success.

 Psalm 10:4 in the Amplified Bible says:

 “The wicked one in the pride of his countenance will not seek, inquire for, and yearn for God; all his thoughts are that there is no God [so He never punishes].”

This scripture deals with those who reject God, but just as I finished typing the scripture . .the Lord sharpened my focus and directed me to write only about ‘spiritual’ pride in this teaching.

 Then He led me to Galatians 6:1 which says:

 “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”

 Spiritual pride is a very dangerous thing. . .it’s deceptive and condescending.

 I have also found spiritual pride to be contagious and contentious. Those within the sphere of influence will be affected by conscious and unconscious haughty attitudes of spiritual superiority and aloofness.

 I’ve often taught that the danger of being deceived is you never realize your condition while you’re in the midst of it. People with spiritual pride never see themselves that way. Instead, they feel they are beyond sin and reproach.

 In 1987 I attended Brother Kenneth E. Hagin’s Camp Meeting. It was one of the most unique, early spiritual experiences of my life. God spoke to me in several profound ways.

 There is one experience of which I’m not particularly proud but it nevertheless shows the danger of pride from several perspectives.

 I very strongly believe that the anointing of God does not transfer simply because of the family a person is born into. It’s not genetics but character and calling that determine the anointing in which a person walks.

 In other words, my children may be called of God to preach the gospel but it’s not a birthright, it’s a calling based on their character and His direction.

 If our children are to preach the gospel it will be because God anointed, appointed and called them into ministry. . . not because it’s what Momma and Daddy want. However, the fact that one is born into a Christian family can enhance the touch of God. After all, He placed them there.

 Back to 1987, I had grown to admire Dr. Oral Roberts but wondered if his son, Richard, was positioned where he was in ministry based on his family connections and not on his calling. All this feeling was based on observation and the divorce that he went through during that time.

 I questioned that if he were somebody else’s son, would he have been allowed to continue in a high profile position.

 While in Tulsa for Camp Meeting, I decided to visit the Oral Roberts University campus. At the time the University had an attraction which dealt with creation. To say the least, it was impressive and filled everyone with “ooh’s and ahs.”

 During the last part of the tour, we sat in a room filled with beautiful art. . .my faith was stirred until the narration began and it was the voice of Richard Roberts. My spiritual pride kicked in and my thought process drifted to my view of Richard.

 As I was sitting there unknowingly wallowing in my spiritual pride. . .I felt a tap on my left shoulder. I look around and there was nobody there. There was nobody on my left side and the person on my right had been leaning forward.

 I decided that I must have imagined it.

 As I drifted back into my thought processes about Richard, I was a bit stunned when I immediately felt another tap on my shoulder and audibly heard the words “I called him; leave him alone.”

 My spiritual pride had been exposed and I learned a valuable lesson. 

 God clearly tells us how to deal with believers who’ve made a mistake.

 Galatians 6:1 in the Amplified Bible says:

 “BRETHREN, IF any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also.”

 I know people who have seen others fall into sin. . .sexual and otherwise. . .who with great pride say that they would never make that mistake. 

 Be careful of whom you condemn. Sadly, I remember the days when Jim Bakker, the Founder of the Praise the Lord (PTL) Television Network, fell from grace. At the time he was publicly criticized and condemned for his sin. . .sexual and otherwise. . .by Jimmy Swaggert. . .who shortly thereafter was forced to stand in his own pulpit and repent for exposure of his sexual sin.

 There is another pastor I personally know who loves God with all his heart and has great revelation of His Word. . .but looks down his spiritual nose at others. When those who have fallen into sin or strayed from the faith. . . return to minister, he views it with a skeptical eye because of his own spiritual sense of self worth.

 I remember a conversation we once had when he proudly boasted that he would never fall into sexual sin because it was beneath his character.  My prayer is that he will never succumb to sexual sin but I can tell you that his spiritual pride was in full array during the day of our conversation.

 Oh, to God that he will see the light before the devil sets his snare upon him.

 The scripture in Galatians is clear as to what our responsibility should be. If a brother or sister in the Lord sins. . .we’re to help set them right, restore and see them through to reinstatement “without any sense of superiority.”

 And just for the record, the scripture doesn’t put limits on how many times this spiritual protocol should be followed.

 The Message Bible translation of Galatians 6:1-3 says:

 “Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.”

 This may come as a surprise to some. . .but you and I are not the righteous judge, God is. We’re not to judge people . . . but love them. . .by following His instructions. We need to ask God to expose us to ourselves . . .  if our spiritual pride is showing.

 Pride without haughtiness and with the personal realization that we can accomplish nothing apart from God will bring us great success and keep us from falling flat on our spiritual faces.

 Remember the words found in the New Living Translation of Proverbs 29:23:

 “Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor.”