Love Is Not Proud

Days  3 and 4

Love is not proud…

Pride is the #1 love buster!  We read in 1 Corinthians 13 that Love does not brag and is not arrogant.  Later, it says love does not seek its own.  Pride has three categories of love-busters!  

Pride gets a lot of attention as a “love-buster…”  and there is actually more.  We have been considering envy and pride as two sides of comparison, yet it it is worth noting that envy is actually a type of pride, a side of pride.

For this reason, let’s take these next two days to look at pride and how to identify and root it out of our lives so that we can love as the Lord has designed. 

Below is an exercise to pray through.  It is easily a two-day project.  Take the next couple days to work carefully and prayerfully through the exercise below. 

Heavenly Father, I confess that I have been living in pride, thinking more of myself than others, thinking more of myself than others, living more for my will than yours, and have been more self-sufficient that Christ-dependant.  Please show me now all the specific ways in which I have lived my life in pride.  Please show me where I need to clothe myself in humility.

Self-exaltation: Do I need to feel better than others?

Am I competitive?  Do I feel envious of others I fell inferior to, and superior to those I fell better than?  Do I sometimes rejoice at the misfortunes of others?  Do I have a critical spirit, picking at people’s faults?  Do I “throw my weight around” when I can?  Do I look at authority with either disdain or jealousy?

Self-Rule: Do I refuse to let God be God?

Do I have a sense of entitlement toward God and others?  Is my will or God’s will first in my life?  Do I have a spotty prayer life?  Am I practicing regular confession and repentance?  Do I have control issues?  Can I recognize my limitations and live with them?

Self-Absorption:  Am I desperately self-focused?

Does praise really puff me up?  Does criticism radically deflate me?  Do I have to manipulate to get attention?  Do I have a  need to be right?  To be heard?  Do I constantly have myself or my benefit as a reference point?  Do I constantly “keep score?”  Do I have a hard time listening to others?  Am I overcome either by self-exaltation or self-loathing? 

Lord, I confess that I have been proud in ________________.  Thank you for forgiving me and cleansing me of this pride (1 John 1:9).  Please take back the ground I’ve given the enemy by my pride.  I choose to humble myself before You and others.  I place my confidence in you and none in my flesh.