FAITH CAPSULE: Often, pride precedes captivity.
Matthew 6:22-34
Among the major avenues to every form of self-destruction is encased in pride. Pride is a personal ride to self-destruction. Lying, stubbornness, anger, unforgiving and worrying instead of worshiping God are among the branches of pride. Pride is what opens man and become vulnerable for the devil to strike. Pride is what precedes captivity. It is pride that denies man from hearing and giving ear to the spoken word of God. Jeremiah 13:15 buttressed, “Hear and give ear: do not be proud, for the Lord has spoken.” Evidently, a failure to hear and do what God is saying is a passage to engage what seems right to man. Pride is an indirect way of claiming to know better than God. It is worth to remember that the word of God does not lie when it stated in Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Is pride setting you up for a self-destruction?
As a believer that claims to be having Jesus in your house (life), a believer that is constantly hosting Jesus, are you allowing worrying in the face of what only seems to be challenging to you? Imagine Martha who welcomed Jesus into her house and at the same time entertained worrying. Martha took her case to Jesus because pride was set in her. She said, “…Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” (Luke 10:40) Jesus, the Lord of all, knows all and He identified the problem of Martha with the response, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.”(Luke 10:41) In Martha’s service unto God, worrying was in place. Can you carefully examine yourself, identify and deny the silent agent of pride that shoots out worrying into Martha.
If Martha, with Jesus in the house, could be trapped, not even your title in the church would be enough for you to take a cover from the spirit of pride. It does not matter what your concern or worry is hear and give ear to the spoken word of Jesus. Do not worry and be troubled, it is the plan of the thief who has come to steal, kill and to destroy. Word of God from Paul, the apostle admonished you today, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from the spirit of pride which causes man to become a worrying vessel.