Once upon a time…. How many times have our mommas read us fairy tales that started with those words, once upon a time.  But the story I’m about to tell you is no fairy tale. It’s about a real person and a real God.  

  I once knew a man, a very nice man but an average man.  Nothing spectacular about this man, just an average Joe.  He was a good friend and was well liked by his co-workers and people loved being around him, that is until…….God called him into the ministry and started using him in a mighty way.  He started seeing miracles being performed under his ministry, people were being delivered, healed and set free.   Well this friend let all this ‘fame’ go to his head and soon forgot who was really doing the things he was seeing.  He started thinking it was by his power and developed a me, me  menntality…look at me!  Look at what I’m doing and he put God on the back burner and he took center stage!  We call these kind glory hounds, seeking glory for themselves.  But can I tell you something…our God is a jealous God and He says He will share His glory with no one.  My friend’s demeanor changed almost over night, satan had snuck in and filled his heart with pride.

  You see, this sin of pride is a master thief, as it robs God of that honor which would be given Him by His people if humble, and of that joy which He takes in their humility.  Pride also robs believers of their present joy and comfort.

  We all know the story of  Lucifer (satan), how he was the most beautiful angel in heaven.  He even led Heaven’s choir but he got prideful and started thinking he was like the Most High.  I’m sure the other angels were telling him what a great voice he had and how good looking he was, bragging on him to the point where he became full of himself, he started thinking he was all that and a bag of chips.  He boasted I will rise above the heavens and be like God.  But I digress, (I call it chasing down bunny trails).  You know  how you take coon dogs out on a coon hunt and then one of them spies a bunny and off they go…the coon is forgotten and they go running off.  That’s what this writer does sometimes but just bear with me and just like that old coon dog I’ll get back on track directly.  Well back to my story…..

  This friend of mine started acting like he was special and he was and is but he failed to realize that it wasn’t because God was using him that made him special but because God loved him.  He forgot that he would have no power if it didn’t come from on high.  He started getting the ‘big head’ and developed  a holier than thou attitude.  He started thinking he was better than anybody else….you know the kind ‘don’t touch me cause I’m anointed’ people.  Can I tell you something, if you’re anointed it won’t rub off by you touching someone or hugging someone.  You can find these people in every church, on every street corner.  But we all know what happened to Lucifer, He was thrown out of heaven and now prowls the earth as satan seeking who he can use by imparting these feelings of pride into their hearts.  His plan is to do all he can to fool the children of God, to take them away from Him.  For God tells us in His Word that there are 7 things the Lord hates and one of them is a haughty spirit. “These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination (something He hates) to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.”  And may I add one more….someone who refuses to pray for a brother or sister.  

  Let me give you some examples of what this kind of person does.  Because of the their pride they will argue with you until they’re blue in the face even if they’re wrong and even after have been proven wrong.  They don’t want to admit that someone else could possibly be right and know something they don’t.  Friends we need a teachable spirit. If we get to the point where we think we know it all God can no longer use us for when we get like that we have no need of Him.  Like Lucifer we become our own god.  Another characteristic of this type of person is one who constantly tries to one-up everyone.  Let’s say you tell this person that you run a mile every day.  Well not wanting to be outdone rather it’s true or not they will say oh really well I run 2 miles a day.  It doesn’t matter if you tell them about what your kids, your grand kids did or what kind of vacation you went on this person’s kid, their grand kid or vacation was better according to them.  I knew someone else like that.  If you told him you caught a big fish, he caught one bigger.  If you told him about a big buck you shot, he shot one bigger.  You know these kind of people.  You probably got some in your family.  These kind of people will belittle others to make themselves feel superior.  Can I tell you something you can never get higher by bringing someone else down and blowing out someone else’s candle will not make yours burn brighter.  God’s Word warns us about people who have the haughty attitude.  He informs us as Christians to turn away from such people and goes on to say that because of haughtiness they’re always learning but are never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, they think they know it all.   I know a few of those, don’t y’all? 

  You see whenever we begin to think we know it all, it becomes impossible to teach us anything because we’re so wrapped up in our self.  We gain a me, me, I, I, mentality and it becomes all about us and wipes Him and others right out of the equation. We leave Him behind. While this feeling might make us feel good on the inside, it is only temporary and it’s not worth the cost of being in opposition with God.  We are to flee from these kind of people.  Pray for them but flee from them.  Scripture tells us that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble and you can find that in James 4:6.  And who of us don’t need God’s grace?  This old woman sure does!  Talking about His grace….He gives grace to these people just as He gives grace to you and I for our sins. He is slow to anger and quick to forgive those who come to Him with a humble spirit and a broken and repentant heart.  It’s sad but if my friend ever repented I haven’t heard about it.  I just know if he does God will be eager to forgive him and bring him back into fellowship with Him.

So my friends if you see these things in yourself don’t get all down on yourself, beating yourself up or me (the devil does enough of that) … Instead go to God, repent and ask Him to remove anything that’s not of Him.  “Search me, O God and know my heart’ try me and know my thoughts.”  “Create in me a clean heart O God and a right spirit unto You.”  “Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind.”

  For you see when we stand before God on the day of judgment and we must all stand before God, those who have this arrogant attitude will be turned away….Isaiah 13:11 “I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.”  And some will but Lord…I did this. But Lord I did that..all in Your name.  Don’t You remember when I laid hands on sister Whiney and she was healed.  I dd that!  And I believe the Lord will say, no my friend, you did none of those things…I did!  

  One of the most horrible feelings I can imagine comes over me when I think of my Lord looking at me and saying, “depart from Me you worker of iniquity for I never knew you.”  I tremble and shudder at the thought. 

  Now that we’ve examined the horrible consequences of this sin let us now turn to God for without Him, you would not have your next breath or your heart would not beat it’s next beat.  Let us remember always that God is a loving and merciful God and His mercies are renewed daily.  Thank You Jesus for this writer needs them daily!  Jesus loves you so much and so do I.

  Let me leave with just one more scripture: Philippians 2 vs 1-9 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 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.  Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.

  If anyone had a right to be proud it would have been Jesus, after all He was deity yet even He humbled Himself before God and said that He came to the earth to serve and not to be served.  Let us follow His example and humble ourselves before Him.  Let us love one another as Christ loves us!  He tells us the world will know we’re His disciples by the love we have one for the other!

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.  Proverbs 16:18

  And remember we’re not in this fight alone, there’s others fighting this battle with us……let us also remember them.  Let us not be so full of ourselves, thinking we know it all, that Holy Spirit can’t teach us through others.  The ground at the foot of the cross is level.  There are no big I’s and little you’s!

In His love,
Elizabeth