"PEACE OF HUMBLE PIE?"

How does "Pride" effect my life each day?

Is it really just a matter of how we impact others when we are proud? Many times when we read books or hear someone speaking on the matter of pride, we will learn about how we impact the lives of those around us when we are proud. I have been told by Sunday School teachers, when I was just a child, how pride caused men to come to destruction. Then as I became a man, I began to read books on how to succeed and some of the most successful men in my life also suggested my reading books that talked about feeling good about yourself and holding your head high and maintaining an ego that told others that I was in charge of my life. Well, guess what, it worked rather well! Yes, I was promoted and praised by men, but I was missing something deep in my heart. I just didn't understand what it was at the time.

Years went by and the confident stance and proud face became more and more difficult to portray. I couldn't understand why I was feeling this way. I had taken my family to church every Sunday, I had even gave of my profits to the Lord. I was doing everything just right, so it seemed. Why wasn't I enjoying peace of mind along with the inner pride that had grown so strong with each achievement in my life. I had followed the path of those who had succeeded before me and it was working! The really odd thing to me was that my children and wife weren't enjoying the fruits of my labor and lifestyle either.

You see, dear friend, I had fallen into the trap. That was the trap of self satisfaction in life and success. I hold nothing against the idea of being successful financially in this world. As a matter of fact I believe God chooses those who he will bless in this way, but it isn't going to be by something you or I may have done to achieve it!

I know some of you may be sitting there in total shock that I am even suggesting that you didn't have anything to do with your life of success! You may be right, the wealth and power that you have attained in your life may be by your own achievement and you may have sacrificed many hours and much of your life to accomplish this, but I know that you are still looking for inner peace and joy right now if you did it all on your own, as I did for so many years. Does that disturb you a little? It should! It disturbed me allot when I realized just how much control I had over my life and how little control God had in my life on the day that I found wisdom from the Word of God concerning the matter of " my pride". The fact is that you and I cannot just go and do whatever we want to do and expect God to make it a blessing. You can't ignore the mass amount of wisdom found in God's Word and only focus on prosperity and your own desires! It won't work, my friend. God has laid down the laws of nature and the fruits of HIS Spirit for us in the Word of God.

Look at a passage with me from the Bible;

Psalm 131:1 A Song of degrees of David. LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.

This was written from the heart of David, the great psalmist, the Shepard, the mighty warrior against Goliath, the fearless who killed the bear and the gifted musician who wrote and played songs for the king and eventually became King by the power of God given him. If any had room for pride and ego, David would have had the opportunity for this kind of attitude, BUT look at what he has written!

My HEART is not haughty (proud), nor my EYES lofty (higher); Neither do I EXERCISE (take action) "myself" in GREAT (Impressive) matters, or things TOO HIGH for me.

What did the highly gifted man of God do then? How did he achieve so much in his life? Where did his strength come from, if he didn't "take action himself"?

We can all learn why David enjoyed his "PEACE" of "HUMBLE" Pie when we read what he said in the next two verses of Psalms 131;

Psalms 131:2,3 Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.
3 Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever.

David was like a child who was full of it's mothers milk and satisfied, but David was also saying here that his soul was like a content child depending on the mighty power of God. He was writing songs of his humility to God, regardless of the all of his impressive abilities and gifts that had been given him.

Just as David tells Israel to hope in the Lord from now on and for ever; let's follow this sound wisdom and truth from this Psalm. Let's hope in the Lord today! Let's find the inner peace that comes with an humble and content spirit!


Addittional references

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 18:12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.

Proverbs 21:24 Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.

Isaiah 3:16-18 Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:
17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.
18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,

Isaiah 10:33 Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.

Isa 24:4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.

Zephania 3:11 In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride (This reminded me of the PRIDE Parades by the gays), and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain (Mountain represents power. Because of the power of God!) (This is the last days prophesied by God through Zepahania)