Pride is the number one reason why the majority of people fall in life. Some kings even lost their thrones because of pride. Take King Saul for example, He didn’t do what God told him to do because of pride. Due to his lack of obedience to God he lost his kingship to David
Satan lost his privilege in heaven because he wanted to be like God. If you don’t watch out, you can easily get trapped and find it very difficult to remove it from your life.
Lets face it, we all have pride to a certain level. However, some of us have great discipline and self- control and know how to put pride in its place. The Bible talks a lot on pride. Proverbs 13:10
There is good pride and bad pride. Good pride is when you strike up a zeal and work with great passion. When you take the time to carefully look over your project or your finances with diligence.
That’s called taking pride in your work. That’s good because you’re taking the time to make sure you’re getting the job done to the best of your ability.
The bad pride is when you think you’re better than others. Always looking down at people, stuck up, always thinking that you’re right and that your ideas are always better. Not willing to take constructive criticism and the list goes on…
This is the kind of pride that’s dangerous which God hates. Proverbs 8:13 says “To fear the Lord is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech.”
So, are you struggling with pride? Do you need to remove it from your life?
11 ways to avoid pride.
1. Think before you speak; don’t be too hasty to speak. If what you’re saying is not uplifting to others then don’t say it at all. Your mouth might get you into trouble and you might regret what you say later. Remember words are powerful and you can damage someone with your tongue.
2. Listen more & talk less; it’s always wise to listen and not do much talking. Listening is the number 1 communication skill.
3. Be a server not a complainer; it is always good to put others’ needs before yours. Serve out of love and appreciation for others.
4. Don’t interrupt or cut someone off when they are talking, it shows that you’re not listening and you just want to get your 2 cents in.
5. Be selfless, not selfish; be generous. Don’t hold on to things when you know you can help someone. Be willing to give, it’s always better to give than to receive.
6. Don’t think of yourself higher than others. Think of yourself as less important to those around you. And don’t be quick to judge.
7. Be open minded to others ideas and opinions. Don’t just think it’s only your ideas and opinions that are always the best. Sometimes others are more valuable that you can learn from.
8. Learn to take constructive criticism from others. Constructive criticisms are the best ones to learn from. They might be a little harsh at times; but in the end you will gain magnificent growth if you listen.
9. Learn to take good advice that is going to help you in the future rather than rejecting it.
10. Don’t be wise in your own eyes and think you know it all. The fact is, we don’t know anything! Sometimes we are spiritually blind and need the help of others to guide us along the way.
11. Show empathy to others, try to see things differently from their perspective. Try to put yourself into other people’s shoes and understand where they’re coming from.
In conclusion many people’s destiny are destroyed because of pride.