Proverbs 16:17-19 NET – 17 The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil; the one who guards his way safeguards his life. 18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. 19 It is better to be lowly in spirit with the afflicted than to share the spoils with the proud.
God has been giving me lately a recurring vision of a highway, which is leading to a big light off in the horizon. People were on the road traveling towards the light. On their journey there was a man on the side of the road that was trying to get people to veer off and go towards him. The man was trying to distract people and charm them to get their attention. People who fell for his charm would veer off the road to go towards him and then they fell into a big pit. A trap that was set up by the enemy to persuade people to follow their flesh instead of being led by the Holy Spirit.
In the natural we get curious with roadside attractions on a long road trip. I love roadside attractions. The more novelty the theme is, the more fun it is to me, especially if there’s ice cream haha. We are sometimes entertained by these attractions and will spend money on souvenirs. It is nice to take a break from our long travels, but then it is also easy to get distracted and lose time from reaching our destination. But at least a memory was made, hopefully. The good thing is that in the natural we can easily pull right back on to the highway and continue our journey. But there are also people who have stories of being swindled when they veer off the road out of curiosity to see an attraction. People who lost money, valuables, and even had car trouble when veering off course.
From the recurring vision that God showed me He was revealing a spirit of pride that has been running rampant among some believers who claim to follow Christ. To avoid a prideful spirit, God is saying that in this season to make sure to protect yourself, protect your marriage, protect your family, and protect your walk with Him. Pride will destroy relationships, marriages, ministries, churches, careers, families, friendships, etc. We have a choice to either humble ourselves before God or to be humbled by God. When we come clean and humble ourselves before God, then we remove that mask of being fake and double minded. People may fool some people, but you can never fool God. When we try to avoid or ignore the conviction of the Holy Spirit then it is easy to veer off the path of righteousness and land straight into a pit of destruction. Who are you following? Who are you seeking after? Is it favor with God or favor with man?
We are entering a season where what has been hidden in darkness is making its way to the surface and will be exposed by the light. Corruption is not limited to just the world, there are also some in the body of Christ who are living a double life and playing a dangerous game with sin. People who love God, know scriptures, and can give sound wisdom but yet living an unrepentant life trying to persuade people in the wrong direction. Having one foot in the Kingdom and one foot in the world, not getting “pulled” into two different directions, but instead jumping between two different directions willfully based on what feels good to them at that moment. I heard a preacher a long time ago say, “if you don’t want to partake of the devil’s apples then stay out of his orchards.”
Throughout the earth today corruption continues to rise. Some have chosen to be prideful for themselves over having a passion for God. It is ok to be proud of reaching a goal and achievements, you have worked hard for it. But you can do that without thinking you are better than anyone else. It is ok to be proud of your loved ones and to celebrate a person’s success. But people who carry a spirit of pride are people who are self-centered, narcissistic, and seek self-glorification. Remember how quickly satan fell because of pride. We have many warnings in the bible about pride but yet pride still exists among some believers.
Psalm 40:4 NET – 4 How blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord and does not seek help from the proud or from liars.
Are people “inspiring” you or are they “influencing” you? There is a significant difference. When you are inspired you want to do good. When you are influenced, you are easily persuaded to do bad. Are you trusting God with your decisions or seeking help from prideful liars?
Remember we have a choice to either humble ourselves before God or to be humbled by God. When you humble yourself before God there is room for grace, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness from God and from people. But when God humbles you then what is hidden beneath the surface is exposed and revealed for all to see, your true character, the lie you are hiding is shown for all to see. What happens when we get caught with something we have or should not be doing? We then go from having a prideful spirit to also taking on a spirit of guilt, shame, and remorse. There is no freedom in that. But praise God, there is freedom in remaining humble. Stay on course! Overcome pride!
James 4:6-10 NET – 6 But He gives greater grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.” 7 So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter into mourning and your joy into despair. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will exalt you.
Proverbs 11:2 NKJV – 2 When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.
