Got Pride?

I am currently doing Beth Moore's newest Bible study (which is actually an update of one of her older studies), Breaking Free: The Journey, The Stories.  Even though I did this Bible study years ago I am being blessed all over again by it!  I just completed the first week of homework and got hit hard with the concept of pride.  Beth takes a look at several kings of Judah and the pride that they show in their reigns.  One of the questions she asked was, "Did you notice in our study this week that the godly kings seemed to struggle with issues of pride more than the ungodly kings? How can you personally apply this point and guard against it in your own life?"

This question really hit me...as Christians many of us struggle with pride...BIG TIME!  I know that I struggle with it in the area of not wanting others to see my weaknesses.  Just to give you an example, a month or so ago I ripped my calf muscle and had to limp along for awhile.  For those several days that I could walk right I was so self-conscious of walking in front of people.  I didn't want to do it...I didn't want the stares of others or to have them think, "What's her problem???"  Well, a few weeks after that my friend (the one I do bulk cooking with) sprained her ankle and was limping along as I had been.  She confessed to me that she was embarrassed to be seen in public limping like that.  We started to ask ourselves why we even cared and the conclusion we came to was PRIDE!  We had pride in our hearts!  This seeps out into other parts of my life...I don't want people to see that I struggle with unforgiveness, depression, anxiety and whole other list of weaknesses.  I don't want people to see that I do have "an ugly side" in my heart.  But God is leading me to a place where I need to be willing to expose the real me...in exposing the real me there will be no room for pride.

Pride is basically an arrogant attitude.  We think we are better than others...hence my unwillingness for others to see my weaknesses!  In having others see my weakness, I blow my cover! I am not all that I am cracked up to be!  I can't be prideful if I show weakness.  Basically, pride says, "I can put my trust in myself and my abilities rather than in God.  I have it all under control. I have no weakness."  But with pride comes a plethora of problems....remember, "pride comes before a fall".  If we raise ourselves up, then God is going to bring us down.  Plain and simple...we can't escape the penalty of pride.

God has been letting my see lately not only the pride in myself, but in other Christians and how that affects their lives.  He has been teaching me that pride is the chief destroyer of relationships.  It is the jumping off point for many other sins: self-righteousness, hypocrisy, stubbornness, defiance, contention, complaining, and the list could go on.  I have seen this play out over the last few months over and over again!  I am praying daily now that God will remove the pride in my life....the pride that I can't even see...that is subtle and hidden way deep down.  That has become my goal and prayer!