Overcoming Pride

Anneta Pinto-Young 3 Minutes
“Though the Lord is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar” (Psalms 138:6).

In Isaiah 14, the Prophet wrote about the fall of Babylon, the fall of the king of Babylon and the fall of Lucifer who is called satan. He spoke of Lucifer falling from heaven and being cut down to the ground. He was the son of the morning, who weakened nations. Satan’s fall was due to pride and self aggrandisement. “For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north” (Isaiah 14:13). Satan’s aim was to make himself equal or of more significance to God. The result of this self exaltation was humiliation and being brought low. “Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit” (Isaiah 14:15). When satan was brought down, people marvelled as he once caused nations to shake.

Peter said in chapter 5:6, that we should humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt us in due season. Jesus also said in Matthew 23:12, that anyone who exalted themselves will be humbled and anyone who humbled themselves will be exalted. Another bible character who exalted himself and was humbled was King Nebuchadnezzar. “The king spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty”” (Daniel 4:30)? Before the words had even left the King’s mouth, a voice from heaven spoke to him saying, the kingdom had been taken from him. He would be driven from men and his dwelling would be with the beast of the field. He would eat grass like oxen and seven periods of time would pass until he knew that the Most High God, rules the kingdoms of men and gives (power) to whoever he chooses.

In that same hour, the word was fulfilled and Nebuchadnezzar went out and ate grass with the animals and his hair and nails grew like wild birds. After the set time passed, his senses returned to him and he acknowledged and praised God and was restored to his kingdom. “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down” (Daniel 4:37). This last verse shows that he acknowledged that his sin was one of pride. This can be defined as a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit or superiority, whether cherished in the mind or displayed in conduct (www.dictionary.com). Pride also places an exaggerated emphasis on one’s self, over and above others.

Selfishness, arrogance, being self centred and self seeking are all symptoms of pride. While it is important to have confidence and a healthy sense of self, this has to be balanced against the spirit of pride. Satan was a chief archangel who was radiant and glorious in his appearance. His title of ‘son of the morning,’ inflated his ego so that he felt that he was equal to God. The opposite of this pride was Jesus’s humility, where although he was God, did not count himself as equal to God. “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8). Therefore God has highly exalted Jesus and given him a name above every other name. Pride leads to destruction and humiliation while humility leads to exaltation. We have to examine ourselves and ask God to expose any areas where there is pride and vain glory and ask God to take it from us.

A.P.-Y.

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Published by Anneta Pinto-Young

I am a trained Social Worker who currently provides professional leadership on a programme to support Social Work students and Newly Qualified Social Workers entering the Social Work Profession. Born and raised in Jamaica in a Christian family where my father is an ordained Pastor and Deacon who has served for over 50 years in the ministry. My father is also a trained musician and our family can be described as a musical family. I grew up in a small farming community in St. Peter’s, St. Andrew and my parents also have a small farm. I credit my gift of writing to my father who I watched and listened to over the years as he wrote sermons, poems and other recitals in his capacity in ministry. English has always been an easy subject for me and over the years I have developed an increased interest in writing. I am a Trainer, I sing and have a passion for worship, the spoken word and the free flow of the prophetic anointing. I am married to my best friend Andrew Christopher Young who is an advanced Musician and whose music you can find on YouTube and Facebook. I am a trained Coach and Mentor and I love experimenting with food so I love cooking. I enjoy trying cultural dishes from across the world and I view food as an entry into cultures and languages.

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20 thoughts on “Overcoming Pride”

  2. This is good stuff, Anneta! My dad called this overly exalted sense of self and purpose, ‘delusions of grandeur.’ And indeed satan was so caught up with his beauty and design, that he was much deluded in his sense of worth and value in God’s Kingdom and in God’s plan. I can imagine that he couldn’t walk past a mirror without gazing at his own glory and paying homage to himself. What a mess!! 🤦🏾‍♀️

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    1. 😁lots of celebrities fall into that category. As the standard for fame is the ‘perfect physique and facial features.’ May God help us to remain grounded. It was interesting what I found when I did a word search on the word pride. Care to try? 😁

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      1. My oldest daughter lives in L.A., and at 30, she is is still aiming to become a ‘movie star.’ It’s not the life I would ever want, nor the life I wanted for her, but she is/was a gorgeous girl and pride and delusions of grandeur took hold of her. Please keep Daen, lifted up in prayer. I will definitely word-search, pride!!

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  3. Hey Anneta, this is a good “self-examination” lesson for us. Being able to see ourselves in real honesty with no-one patting us on the back is usually not fun.
    Can we really be our own worst critic?

    This is good medicine.

    “..22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
    23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
    24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
    25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed…”
    James 1:22-25

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    1. For sure Pedro. Had me examining myself and checking the times when perhaps I didn’t stop to give God glory. This can happen at times when people try to take credit for our work or undermine what we do. Easy to speak up to defend ourselves, but Jesus kept quiet because he knew who he was. Lessons to learn. 😊

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  6. “did not count himself as equal to God.” Since Jesus claimed more than once to be equal with God, showing himself to be God, I think this phrase in the scripture translated in KJV as, “Who being in the form of God; thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation …” shows us his complete perfect humility in not using that equality in a way beyond what the Father would have him display it but fully surrendered himself into the Father’s hands.
    So often we don’t want to give up our rights or power to be or do, but that is what humility calls for, is it not?

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