It’s challenging to imagine that our loving Heavenly Father would hate anything, but the Bible tells us specific actions and attitudes that are an abomination to Him. An abomination is something God finds detestable, and pride is one of those things. Pride is an attitude and mindset that is expressed when people think more of themselves than they should. They step outside the boundaries of God’s love and therefore, step away from His plan and purpose. Any time that we begin to think that we are above that which God has planned and purposed for our lives, we have been blinded and tricked by the devil, and this will ultimately lead to destruction.
Proverbs 16:18(NLT) tells us this. It says, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” In this verse, the word ‘haughtiness’ is what we call ‘arrogance’, and it seems to be more prevalent today than ever. We live in a culture where fancy and expensive cars, houses, and clothing makes people feel superior. They think because they possess these things or wear designer clothing that it makes them better than those who can’t afford them. People in society have made an idol of power and wealth, and they look down on those they feel are inferior. This has been a practice for thousands of years.
The Bible tells us about people that were captured and made slaves for many years. All kinds of atrocities have occurred in history because those with power and wealth looked upon people without influence as being ‘less than’. Rather than helping these individuals, those with power used them. When arrogance and pride are at work in the hearts and minds of individuals, evil and darkness is in control, and things never end well when this is the case.
Throughout the Bible, we see how pride brings failure and never success, but unfortunately, there are many of God’s people that behave in an arrogant and prideful manner. Some of us use our privilege and honor as being a member of God’s household as an excuse to think we are above others. In truth, God has called us to be of service to all humanity through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our Lord and Savior commands us to get rid of pride and arrogance, because it has no place in God’s Kingdom. In Matthew 23:12(NLT), Jesus said, “But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Over the years, I’ve heard countless women talk about what they will and won’t accept in a man. He has to be this or that. He can’t have children, must have a certain job or make a certain income. They behave as if God doesn’t know what they need, and that they know themselves better than He does. Of course, this isn’t true. Jesus Christ tells us in Matthew 6:8 that the Father knows exactly what we need before we ask Him.
Often, we bring all these requirements to the table because we want to be perceived a certain way to others. We feel we have to uphold a certain status, but we need to look under the hood and take a closer look at what motivates this need to keep up appearances. If we investigate further, it’s likely we’ll see that arrogance is at work, and this doesn’t please Heavenly Father. He doesn’t care about many of the requirements we hold up as standards. Forever and always, God looks at the heart. He told His prophet, Samuel, in 1Samuel 16:7(NLT), “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Just as God looks at the heart of the man that we will one day marry, He looks at our hearts as well, and if arrogance is there, we will not be rewarded until we deal with it and get rid of it. Humility is where it’s at. Its where the real and pure love of God abides. Although some of us were taught to have high standards, there is a difference between having self-worth and thinking another person’s worth is beneath yours. As God’s daughters, we cannot conduct ourselves based on things that are not in line with Godliness. Our call is to live uprightly before God, and to do this, we can’t have the toxicity of pride and arrogance in our hearts. Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NLT) tells us, “23 This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. 24 But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Heavenly Father has given us the final Word. We must be humble and sincere to please Him and to have a marriage that is built on His love. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Humility Is Where It’s At!”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2021. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.