Spiritual Warfare #6

I started a new book yesterday. It's fantastic! We'll try and finish this one and the Identity one first, though.

Chapter 3 by Charles Stanley.
Exposing a Prideful Heart

It doesn't take the enemy long to sense our areas of weakness as we mentioned earlier. He studies our actions and our reactions to life's circumstances.

The Consequences of Pride in the Life of the Believer
...Not all sorrow and adversity come as a result of disobedience. Some of the disappointments come from living in a fallen world. Many come because we have ignored God.

Pride hinders our fellowship with God.

Pride leads to broken relationships with others.

Pride blocks God's blessings and often causes us to lose our rewards.

The truth is, if you do not tap into God's will for your life, all the success this world has to offer will not come close to the success that God has for you.

God's blessings offer a sense of fulfillment and peace that you will never be able to acheive on your own. His call to you is to be faithful in what you have been given to do.

Pride lessens the fullness of relationship with Him.

Pride decreases our effectiveness as a leader.

Pride entices us to favor people who build up our egos. The 360 review process may have originated in the workplace as a way for employers to learn more about their abilities and habits, but the concept is gaining ground in the home where family members review one another and give honest answers that foster accountability.

Pride sets the stage for us to make foolish mistakes.

Pride shuts down the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Pride breeds prayerlessness.

Pride causes us to emphasize self more than God.

The evidences of pride in one's life are obvious:
1. The desire to be number one or first.
2. Continual reference to oneself.
3. The longing to be the center of attention.
4. A need to seek the praise and compliments of others.
5. A desire to dress in such a way as to gain the attention of others.
6. A need to be seen in prominent places.
7. Unwillingness to help people who are less fortunate.
8. A rebellious spirit.
9. A tendency to take credit for something that someone else did.
10. REfusal to do menial tasks.
11. Refusal to apologize when wrong.
12. An attitude of self-sufficiency.

That's a lot for today. Tomorrow we'll look at the 7 Steps to Successfully Dealing with Pride.