Stop Pride Before It Stops You.

"Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy." Prov. 28:13.

Many years ago, Christian professor Stuart Blackie of the University of Edinburgh was listening to his students as they presented oral readings. When one young man rose to begin his recitation, he held his book in the wrong hand. The professor thundered, “Take your book in your right hand, and be seated!” At this harsh rebuke, the student held up his right arm. He didn’t have a right hand! The other students shifted uneasily in their chairs. For a moment the professor hesitated. Then he made his way to the student, put his arm around him, and with tears streaming from his eyes, said, “I never knew about it. Please, will you forgive me?” His humble apology made a lasting impact on that young man. This story was told some time later in a large gathering of believers. At the close of the meeting a man came forward, turned to the crowd, and raised his right arm. It ended at the wrist. He said, “I was that student. Professor Blackie led me to Christ. But he never could have done it if he had not made the wrong right.”

Some believers find it difficult to apologize when they are wrong  due to deeply ingrained spiritual, psychological, and prideful barriers. Pride makes people believe they are superior or always right. It blinds believers to their own faults and makes submission feel like defeat. Some believers confuse conviction with condemnation. They worry that admitting guilt will lose them respect, love, or standing in their community. I have actually heard about a marriage that crashed because the man insisted his wife must apologise for her shortcoming towards him, the woman on the other side insisted she had no cause or reason to apologise. She stood her ground until the marriage broke up. Misunderstanding God's grace causes people to hide their sins instead of confessing them to heal relationships.

Self-righteousness causes individuals to focus entirely on the other person's faults. They justify their own bad behaviour based on how they were treated first. Minimizing personal faults makes a genuine apology impossible. Unresolved anger, bitterness, or a lack of spiritual maturity can harden a believer's heart. This hardness blocks the Holy Spirit's conviction. A calloused heart resists the humility required to say, "I am sorry." Believers sometimes refuse to apologize because they dread the aftermath. They fear the penalties, restitution, or boundaries that the other person might set. Prioritizing personal comfort and safety over truth prevents reconciliation. The desire of God is that we prioritise reconciliation and winning over our brothers and sisters compared to winning and argument.

FURTHER READING:

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

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" Matt. 7:3.

DECLARATION: 

Dear Abba, I thank You for the gift of life and the privilege of salvation. Lord, I acknowledge that every good thing in my life is a gift of Your grace. I recognize my limitations, my human flaws, and my complete dependence on You. Please, search my heart and gently remove any hidden roots of pride, ego, or self-reliance. Forgive me for the times I have thought too highly of myself or looked down on others. Soften my spirit and clothe me in the garment of true humility. Help me to view myself with a sober mind, to listen more than I speak, and to eagerly serve those around me. Remind me that strength lies in gentleness, and that true honour comes from bowing low before You.l in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:

Psa. 38:1-22.

Psa. 39:1-13.

Psa. 40:1-17.

Psa. 41:1-13.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY:

"Pride Is Concerned With Who Is Right. Humility Is Concerned With What Is Right."