God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.The devil is so determined to undermine your love walk that if he can’t trip you up one way, he’ll sneak around the back door and trip you up another way. You always have to be watching for him. You can never drop your guard!
(James 4:6, NKJV)
If he can’t draw you out of love with envy or strife, for instance, he’ll get you to think about how well you’ve been doing. Since Satan is a liar, he can go to either extreme—whatever he thinks will work on you. He’ll remind you of all the offenses you’ve overlooked lately. Before you know it, you’ll be silently extolling your own virtues. I’ve done so wonderfully this week. I’ve held my temper. I’ve refused to be touchy. I’m so proud of myself for walking in love!
Do you know what will happen next?
You’ll fall flat on your face. You’ll do or say something so unloving it will shock you. Why? Because what the Bible says is true. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18, New International Version).
Pride is defined as “an over-high opinion of one’s self; exaggerated self-esteem or conceit, haughtiness or arrogance; self-esteem arising from one’s accomplishments or possessions; an exaggerated idea of one’s own dignity or importance.” That’s just the dictionary definition and it’s bad enough. But the Bible goes even further in its description of pride by identifying it as one of the seven things that God hates. Proverbs 6:16-17 calls it an abomination to Him.
Don’t let yourself fall into it. When you’re tempted to think about how wonderful you are and how much progress you’re making in your walk of love, think instead about the One who gave you the strength to do it. Stop considering yourself and consider Jesus, the One who loved you so much He shed His blood and paid the price for your sin. Remember how selfish you were before He redeemed you, and how selfish you would still be except for His grace.
Pride will quickly give way to humility. Haughtiness will melt into gratitude. And you’ll take a step upward instead of taking a fall, as you give all the glory to Him.
Love Assignment: Take a moment and write down all the blessings God has poured out into your life…family, home, work, church. Remember how far God has brought you, and give Him thanks for each blessing, considering Jesus who made it all possible! Thank Him for His gift of Love!
aka: Kenneth Copeland Ministries