March 9, 2010

Have you ever heard the term "spiritual pride"?  I understand that people use the term to mean "proud over their spirituality" or something like that, but it seems to me that pride is anything but spiritual!  Satan fell by being proud, didn't he? 

Remember the reading from February 26?:  "But when He [Jesus] had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." Mark 8:33    No matter how "spiritual" we think we are, if we're in pride, we're not walking in the Spirit.  If we're arguing with Jesus, we're taking sides with the devil!  Satan is a spirit, but he became carnal by being proud.

All human beings have spirits, whether they walk with Christ or not, and all spirits are not of God!   Does this change your point of view about non-Christians?  About spirituality? 

If you can get a handle on the truth that pride originates in your spirit, it will revolutionize your Christian walk!  [Bonus:  there's a reason humility isn't listed in the Fruits of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23.  Humility is an attitude or position of the spirit, and it is your free-will choice;  it takes humility to "walk in the Spirit" in order to bear fruit.]

Moses and Jesus both demonstrated, through their words and actions, what it is to be humble.  They were submitted to God.  "Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth." Numbers 12:3  He had an intimate relationship with God.  Jesus is the Son of God, and the most spiritual of all wouldn't you say, and He prayed, "Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want." Mark 14:36 

The readings today show both Old Testament and  New Testament examples of how pride is a spiritual issue, what the outcome is, and how to avoid it.  In Numbers 11, God had just transferred some of the anointing Moses had onto seventy of the elders, and they prophesied.  Although Joshua expressed some concern over this, Moses replied, "Are you jealous for my sake?  Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!" 11:28-29  I'm thinking some pride was exposed by this turn of events, for it wasn't long before Aaron and Miriam rose up in criticism of Moses saying, "Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?  Has he not spoken through us also?" 12:1-2  Miriam must have instigated it, as she was the one who was disciplined.  Do you think perhaps the Lord was giving a strong warning to those who had received the Spirit, not to walk in pride over it?  How does this pertain to us?

Jesus' disciples seemed to have had the same problem.  They'd been singled out to walk with Jesus day by day, and He had told them many things in private.  I think they began to see themselves as very spiritual, so much so that they wouldn't receive a serious warning from Jesus.  "Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you," said Peter.  And all of them said the same, even though Jesus had just told them they would all run off.  He gave Peter, James and John the chance to "keep awake and pray,"  but it seems that they were overwhelmed and went to sleep instead. 

Pride does not watch and pray, but humility does.  Pride falls into temptation, humility falls on its face before God.

"When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but wisdom is with the humble." Proverbs 11: 2