Pride—Check it Before You End in Checkmate
(Excerpts and inspiration from The Silent but Deadly Trio devotional by Lisa Singh)
“Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18 NLT
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
The game of chess requires careful planning and attention so you’re not caught off guard without a way to escape and end up in “checkmate”. You must not only be on guard but actively strategize and position yourself to be victorious.
As with chess, if you’re not careful, pride can easily slip in and catch you off guard. It hides itself deep within and can be very subtle. Oftentimes we’re not even aware of the roots it’s taken in our lives. And as it goes unchecked, we find ourselves dealing with its ugly and sometimes devastating consequences.
While we all have a measure of pride within we must constantly check it and align ourselves with the Word of God. Let me be clear, there’s nothing wrong with taking pride in our work and accomplishments, the service we provide to others, or the way we handle challenges and conflict. It’s when we put our desires ahead of God and fully rely on and give ourselves credit for our success and accomplishments without acknowledging God as the source, that we run into trouble.
Eve, Sampson and King David, “all focused on the object or person until they burned with desire or had a strong urge to have it. All convinced themselves that it was good for them and ultimately gave in.”
They didn’t check their motives, their innermost desires, and thus were driven by the lust in their flesh, their eyes, and the pride of life. Jesus, after He had finished His time of fasting was likewise tempted, and had He not responded with the Word, Satan would have gladly said, “Checkmate”. “Jesus single-handedly decimated the world system by having the written Word in His heart, mind, and mouth”.
Will you hide the Word in your heart so you’re able to check yourself, or will you like many others succumb to the trick of the enemy and end up in “Checkmate”?
Prayer: Holy Spirit, please help me to recognize the subtly of pride in my life as well as the lust of my flesh and my eyes. Help me to weigh the cost of my choices and decisions and help me to remember Eve, Sampson, and King David regularly as I ponder life.
Love You All to Life! ❤️
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