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Every single one of us deals with pride,whether we realize it or not. And I would say that it is perfectly normal to think about ourselves, to love ourselves, be proud of who we are and what we’ve accomplished.
But pride becomes negative and harmful when we become all puffed up and think that we are of greater value, hence superior to others. Unfortunately, more often than not, we are blinded by the fact that we may be prideful.
Signs of pride in our life
- Believing that we are more important and better than other people due to our titles, achievements, family background, possessions, wealth, appearance, etc.
- Thinking that we are always right and therefore can’t listen or accept other people’s ideas and opinions.
- Devaluate other people, look down on them, and cannot associate with ‘ordinary’ people unless they serve us.
- Always criticizing others and finding faults with what they do.
- Not taking responsibility for our mistakes and blaming others instead.
- Unable to apologize to others when at fault, on the defensive, and always finding excuses.
- Always need to have our ways, even to the point of manipulating others.
- Keep grudges and need to get even to feel better. Difficult to forgive.
- Need to win and have the last word in a discussion.
- Difficult to ask for help and would either order people around or play the victim to get things done.
- Thinking we are humble but feeling self-righteous in our heart.
And the list goes on. As you see, pride only turns us into an unloving person. 1 Corinthians 13:4, NLT says that Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
So, being prideful prevents us from loving others properly and with the right attitude.
It hinders us from understanding people and connecting closely with them because this requires us to be vulnerable. It eventually shuts down any effective communication with them.
Pride also keeps us from growing and living a meaningful life. Sometimes, we can become so preoccupied with our status and image that we get stuck. We may not be satisfied with our life, but we find ourselves unable to make the necessary changes to move forward. We are trapped.
Overcome Pride
First, we need to realize that we are not God. We are all humans. We have not created ourselves in our mother’s womb. God did. Our life is not more valuable than others and we will all return to dust like any other human being.
Ask God for help. God made us, and He knows us. He understands the causes of our pride and can help us out. Meditate on God’s truth about who God says we are.
Identify areas where we tend to be prideful and admit that we are wrong. We are not perfect beings. We have weaknesses and can learn from others too.
Be grateful for what we have and give thanks to God. Our achievements, appearance, status, wealth, etc., are only blessings, and they don’t change the fact that we will still remain humans. We should not be confused. Giving thanks to God helps us keep things in perspective.
Do not compare with others. Each person is unique and has a purpose. We are all on different journeys of life. We should only strive to be better than we were yesterday.
Let go of the need to control others and to always be right. We need to learn to listen to others and respect them.
As long as we live, we will struggle with pride. So,it is essential to know that pride only deceives and leads us to making wrong choices. As Luke 14:11, NLT says, “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Is as a woman you can’t seem to move forward because of pride, I’d love to connect. Book a free discovery session on Cindy@anewforpurpose.com
