Today I want to talk about pride. Many Christians struggle with pride. However, when most people think about pride they think about the more outward manifestation of it, such as a haughty or “holier than thou” attitude.
There is an even more sinister version of it, and it’s much more elusive because it’s not as obvious to point out in others or even within yourself. This version of pride is when you blame others for your problems and not look in the mirror and take stock of what bad habits or beliefs you have that created your problems.
Many believers like to blame God or others when things don’t go their way. For example, many Christian singles like to blame God because they’re single, yet they fail to look at themselves and see where they fall short.
They need to humble themselves, take accountability and ask themselves tough questions such as:
Am I in good physical shape to attract what I want?
Do I have any strange “ticks” or mannerisms that make people feel uncomfortable or think that I’m weird or creepy?
Am I consistently pursuing God through regular bouts of prayer AND fasting?
Do I have my financials in order, or am I comfortable living in my mom’s basement?
These are some important questions to start off with, and is one of many examples of something that which pride has a tight grip.
Pride and lack of accountability go hand in hand because blaming others and not yourself implies that your belief systems are the ones you defer to. That is idolatry. You think so highly of yourself that any criticism is taken as an attack.
That is why in today’s culture we have such an epidemic of fat-acceptance, and shaming others who say harsh truths. As believers we need to be as bold as ever and fearlessly call out people, holding each other accountable so that we may continue to strive towards excellence that we may finish the race.
There is an even more sinister version of it, and it’s much more elusive because it’s not as obvious to point out in others or even within yourself. This version of pride is when you blame others for your problems and not look in the mirror and take stock of what bad habits or beliefs you have that created your problems.
Many believers like to blame God or others when things don’t go their way. For example, many Christian singles like to blame God because they’re single, yet they fail to look at themselves and see where they fall short.
They need to humble themselves, take accountability and ask themselves tough questions such as:
Am I in good physical shape to attract what I want?
Do I have any strange “ticks” or mannerisms that make people feel uncomfortable or think that I’m weird or creepy?
Am I consistently pursuing God through regular bouts of prayer AND fasting?
Do I have my financials in order, or am I comfortable living in my mom’s basement?
These are some important questions to start off with, and is one of many examples of something that which pride has a tight grip.
Pride and lack of accountability go hand in hand because blaming others and not yourself implies that your belief systems are the ones you defer to. That is idolatry. You think so highly of yourself that any criticism is taken as an attack.
That is why in today’s culture we have such an epidemic of fat-acceptance, and shaming others who say harsh truths. As believers we need to be as bold as ever and fearlessly call out people, holding each other accountable so that we may continue to strive towards excellence that we may finish the race.
When he gets through, there will be no pride left!
