To tell God “what is” rather than listening to Him to hear what is, is pride. When I define circumstances according to my ideas, I’m exalting my thoughts above His. This always leads to death and devastation—always!
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT
Thoughts: The Pride of Not Listening to God
Our original parents trusted their thoughts above the thoughts of God. The funny thing is, we don’t actually originate thoughts. We are hearers not originators. Martha teaches that there are only two sources in the universe and we choose from One or the other. On one side is Satan, and on the other is our Heavenly Father. It is an either/or proposition, with one leading to death and the Other to Life. This is so frightening because it means that if I am not listening to God to formulate my opinions, then the devil is feeding me my conclusions. YIKES!
In the past I assumed that pride was the attitude of superiority. What I have learned is that pride can be inferiority as well. Whenever we define circumstances apart from God, we are in pride. To hear and bow to God’s mind is humility, while pride is the broad stroke of listening to another’s voice.
If you’re neurotic-leaning, you can easily feel that you’re not proud because you don’t feel superior to others. After all, the Bible does say, “Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3b NLT). But if these thoughts of inferiority are not from God, we’re gaining them from the enemy. This makes our conclusion pride. Whenever I think outside of God, I am in pride.
Leaving Pride, Entering Humility
Martha’s currently reading Master’s Indwelling and it’s an amazing book. I highly recommend it to you. This morning she came and read some of it to me. The section she read was speaking of the humility of Christ and our humility. Essentially the portion she read to me was a celebration of our nothingness. For it is in the humility of our nothingness that we find everything. And this includes our thoughts and our ideas.
We have to come to the Father in our abject emptiness to be filled with His All. And only when we come empty of opinions – those conjured apart from Him – can we receive our actual reality. God is supposed to be the first and last Source of all our thoughts—thoughts about self, thoughts about others, and thoughts about life. Whenever I go outside of listening to Him, I enter pride, which exalts something above Him and His knowing.
Our battle is to bring down every deceptive fantasy and every imposing defense that men erect against the true knowledge of God. We even fight to capture every thought until it acknowledges the authority of Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5 Phillips
Whether pride, false humility, inferiority, it also seems to be related to truth — whose truth are we hearing. It reminds me of a saying: “Ah yes, truth. Funny how everyone is always asking for it but when they get it they don’t believe it because it’s not the truth they want to hear.” – Helena Cassadine
Love that little book by Andrew Murray; p. 93 he says: “What is it that often disturbs our hearts and our peace? It is pride seeking to be something.” Right to the point.
Thank you, John — topic I always need to hear.
That other knowing followed us from the Garden. Painful personal experience has taught me that both kinds of pride can be found in one person. Self goes in whatever direction the twist of the enemy sends it. That ploy is to make us think, ok, now we’re headed in the right direction. It ends in arrogance that knows or a murky groveling. The ploy makes us think we can better self or situation. “It is in the humility of our nothingness that we find everything.” If nothingness were ‘just lack’…but oh, it isn’t! You can’t add anything to it. Utterly… Read more »
It is so true that one person can maintain both positions. Oddly they work in tandem. The one who has feelings of worthlessness often uses pride to build themselves up. Vicious cycle! Thank you for commenting Helen. You are loved!
Very helpful and convicting especially for those of us with many opinions or who struggle against viewing the world through morose colored glasses! Who am I to view anything apart from the Father and with eyes of His faith and love?! Thanks for this repentance bringing message.
Thank you for your encouraging words. It was the same for me. And I now know living by the Voice of God is such peace and joy! Thank you for receiving the message and messenger!
Dear, dear friend…this changes everything, doesn’t it! It’s blowing my mind… To live receiving our “actual reality” is a completely different life!! It throws all of our circumstances out there and takes away all patterns and conclusions and ideas… This kind of surrender comes from a very deep level of trust. Of love. Of knowing God…Oh my!!!
I stand in agreement with you John.
Bless you for your continued obedience to Him who is given all glory and honor and praise!