FINISHING STONG
STUDY X
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Prov 16:18
Pride comes before a fall.
Pride is as a result of comparison to others who are below you in achievements and feeling you are superior to those who haven't as much as you, either in progress achievements, wealth or anything.
When a person falls, it's an evidence that before the fall, he was proud.
Many begin well but fall along the way. The only reason they fall is because they became proud before the fall.
God is able to keep us from falling. Jude 1:24, but we have to always put our faces and our mouths in the dust before God. Lam 3:29
The devil was once an angel, but he became proud, and that is how he became the devil. Pride can change a saint of God into a devil.
It's good to examine what the devil was proud of because it is still the same thing he injects in the hearts of believers to be proud of so that they can destroy themselves.
When you become proud the devil doesn't remind you that that is how he became the devil.
The devil was proud of his wisdom and understanding, Ezekiel 28:3-4, of his riches, verse 4-5,17. Riches can be in many forms, can be money, family background, level of education,...., he was proud of success in his business, verse 5,16. He was proud of his perfection, how good he was compared to others, verse 12, he was proud of beauty, verse 12,17, he was proud of his covering, his dress, verse 13,17, he was proud of his anointing, verse 14, he was proud of how far he had walked with God, verse 15.
From Ezekiel 28:1-17, we can conclude that the way for a Christian to become a child of the devil is to be proud, either of his wisdom as compared to others, or his anointing, being more anointed than others, or his perfection, being able to do things better than others, singing or preaching or serving or giving better than others, he can be proud of their beauty, in their face or in character or their many achievements, they can be proud of success in business or career, and can also be proud of how far they have walked with God and their experiences with God.
Pride is the pathway of becoming a devil. If we want to finish well, then humility must be our daily pursuit.
Zephaniah 2:3, speeks to the humble of the earth and tells them to seek more humility.
Are you humble, seek more humility. As your days increases you ought to be more humbler than you were.
If we are to finish well, we must seek to be more humbler as we grow.
The bible says that God fights against the proud person. When you become proud of anything, God becomes your enemy and Starts fighting you. If God fights you, can you progress? Of course not, if you try to move forward, He pushes you backwards, if you try to rise, He pushes you to the ground. On the other hand, He gives grace to the humble. If you try to move forward, He comes behind you and pushes you forward, if you wants to rise, He pushes you forward. James 4:6, 1Pet 5:5. It's only a humble person who will finish well. It's only a humble person who will enter into everything that God has for them.
A proud person can never receive correction. A proud person is full of self justification. He never admits he was wrong, and even if he does, it's in seeking a reputation for humility. The proud person easily gets hurt when someone doesn't serve them as they think they deserve to be served.
A proud person has a lot of demands on others. This and that must be done for them. They are very big in their own eyes as compared to others. Hypocrisy is one of the primary marks of a proud man.
Proud people are quick to see the faults in others and rarely see their own faults. Luke 18:10-14, Prov 9:8, Mathew 7:1-5, Luke 16:15.
To overcome pride, we must learn to acknowledge God always. For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? 1Cor 4:7
We must learn to acknowledge that whatever we have, God has given us. We must also learn that Whatever God has given us is to make us a blessing to others and also to serve others.
A The gifts are given to each of us so we can bless others. 1Cor 12:7
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 1Pet 4:10
We also must learn to never compare ourselves or our gifts with others.
The fool is anyone who compares himself with other human beings. 2Cor 10:12.
Jesus Christ is our only standard. He always said follow me to His disciples. We must pattern our lives with His.
We are commanded to run the race fixing our eyes on Him. Heb 12:2.
Jesus was the humblest man who walked on earth. You become like the company you keep. If you walk with the wise, you become wise, if you keep a bad company, your good morals get destroyed. Prov 13:20, 1Cor 15:33.
In the same way, if you walk with Jesus every day, you will be humble.
Your company define who you will be. Walk with Jesus, and you will always be humble. Humility is in the mind. Phil 2:3-10.
You are blessed to be a blessing
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@Blessed Mshindi Mambo
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