11/01/2023
Warning: Convicting post!!! ⚠️
Where there is strife, there is pride...Proverbs 13:10
Another version...”Only by pride comes contention…”
Over and over the past week, these words have been on my mind. “Only by pride comes contention.”
How convicting! “Only by pride comes contention…”
Meaning of contention: disagreement, anger, bitterness, conflict…
I think most people could think of some situation in their lives where they have contention.
Maybe you’ve got it together in other areas of your life. But maybe there’s a certain situation where anger, bitterness, and/or conflict exists. Maybe you’ve just accepted that this certain situation will always be like this. Maybe you’ve justified it because it’s not “your fault” that the conflict exists. Maybe you’ve justified it because you weren’t the one who initiated the conflict.
But listen to the verse again…”Only by pride comes contention…”
Maybe you didn’t initiate the conflict; Maybe you didn’t want the conflict; Maybe it’s not “your fault.” But it becomes your fault if you allow it to continue. The verse doesn’t say, “Only by pride ‘from the one who caused the conflict’ comes contention.” The verse doesn’t say, “Only by pride ‘from the one who doesn’t apologize for causing the conflict’ comes contention…”
When we’ve been hurt, we feel entitled to the anger, bitterness, etc. We justify our feelings and actions because we weren’t the ones to blame. But God is watching you to see your actions. He’s not taking into consideration what someone has done to you. He’s wanting to see if you can overcome what has happened and still do what is right. He doesn’t want excuses. (Even if they’re good ones!)
We might think the incident is just too terrible. That there’s no way to get past it. That is where pride comes in. Most of the time, we don’t think we can get past it, because truthfully, we don’t want to. We want to remember what someone’s done to us. We want to remember the hurt they caused. We think that they don’t deserve our forgiveness. Wait...What? There is the pride!
If we are a follower of Christ, if we’ve asked him to forgive us, and continue to fail Him daily, and He still forgives us, but we can’t forgive people, what kind of example are we?
Maybe you really want to get past the disagreement but you don’t think you can. Again, it’s because of the prideful nature that is inside of us. We try to get over it on our own...Instead of praying and begging God to help change OUR hearts and minds about the situation. We can’t do it on our own. We are weak. But His strength is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Why is it so important that we don’t have this pride in our hearts?
“These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look...”
Proverbs 6:16,17
A proud look is at the top of the list of things the Lord hates.
Matthew 5:22 says, “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister, will be subject to judgment.”
We need to settle these situations so that we can come to God with a clear conscience.
“So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.”
Acts 24:16
We also need to be an example to those who are not followers of Christ. Let them see that even though something bad happened, with God’s help, we are able to rise above the pain and do what is impossible...if not for His help.
Anyone can keep anger and bitterness in their hearts, but to be able to humble yourself and ask God to help you, shows true strength.
“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
Proverbs 11:2
