Pride is a very short word that only has five letters in it, but it is a powerful tool of Satan. This word pride has brought a many people to their knees and to their death. I must confess that there have been a few times when I have allowed pride to get the best of me. What is it about this word that causes one to act out of character? And why is pride so detrimental? Well for starters, I will give you the street definition of the word pride. Pride is simply thinking you are all that and a bag of chips. Pride is thinking you are more than what you are, and trying to be what you are not, having arrogance about yourself, but at the same time unable to pay your rent. Yes, pride gives you a temporary high, and at any moment will expose who you really are.
Now let's not get pride and having confidence mixed up. See a confident person has the tools, so when the time comes he or she is able to produce. Lebron James is a confident basketball player and when the rubber hit the road, the best of who he is comes out. Muhammad Ali was a confident boxer and at any moment exuded pride, but when he met his opponent in the ring, he was able to lay his pride aside and take care of business.
Please understand that pride can also be a good thing. In 1968 James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, released a song titled "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud." It was released as a two-part single which held the number-one spot on the R&B singles chart for six weeks. In the 1960's the slogan in the Black community was, "I am Black and I am Proud." Who can remember during their medal ceremony in the Olympic Stadium in Mexico City on October 16, 1968, two African American athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, each raised a black gloved fist during the playing of the US national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner." While on the podium, Smith and Carlos, who had won gold and bronze medals in the 200 meter running event, turned to face the US flag and then kept their hands raised until the anthem had finished. However, Tommie Smith's gesture was not a Black Power salute, but a "human rights" salute. These two athletes demonstrated to the world that they were proud to be a people of color. Their actions demonstrated they were men of pride and glad to be an African American.
But on the other hand, there are some people who have tasted success and therefore, have allowed the word "pride" to over take them, thinking that they are better than others. Did not God create the first man? Did not God form man out of the dust from the ground and at the end of life do not the preacher say, "Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust?" The point is, the dust was nothing until God breathed life into it. God did not breathed into man, pride. That is the device that Satan uses to trip us up and send us on an ego trip.
There are so many people in the Bible that suffered from "pride." The Bible tells us story after story about people being prideful, and we can also find many lessons that have been learned from pride. I would like to present to you a man who suffered from a terrible disease, but he also suffered from this five letter word, "pride." Before I continue, let me give you a better definition of the word "pride." Pride is a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired. Pride is the quality or state of being inordinate self-esteem or delight or elation arising from some act, an ostentation displays as pride. In the Bible pride is an attitude of self-sufficiency, not seeking God, the opposite of humility. It causes someone to consider themself higher, wiser, and better than others.
Now let me make it clear to you, I am not taking about pride in ones work or appearance. I am talking about the kind of pride that is destructive. The kind of pride that takes Christians to places spiritually and emotionally that they should never go. Pride is sneaky, because at any moment it will raise its ugly head in defiance and embarrass you without any warning, and at other times it is just who you are, arrogant.
Even the Bible teaches us against this word, pride. Pride is sinful. One very familiar Scripture that most of us are familiar with and have read or heard is, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18). Also, "When pride comes, then comes disgrace" (Proverbs 11:2a). Satan was kicked out of heaven because of pride. Scripture tells us this about Satan's pride, "You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High'" (Isaiah 14:13-14).
In 2 Kings 5:1, we are told the story of Naaman, "Naaman was the commander of the army of the king of Syria. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy."
In this first verse there is much to be digested. This first verse reads as a biography of a man epitomized in greatness. He was highly esteemed for his military accomplishments, character, success, honorable and very rich. "But," and whenever you see the word "but" in Scripture, there is a flip side. "But" he had leprosy. He was not a citizen of Israel, yet the Lord gave the Syrian deliverance against Israel. Since he was not of the Northern Kingdom nor under the covenant, he was not subject to the law as to how lepers were separated outside of the camp in Israel.
The Syrians were the bad boys, they raided the outskirts of Israel and brought back captives, and so it was they brought back a slave girl and she was a maid to Naaman's wife. This young girl, as it turned out, would be the answer to Naaman's blessing. With the help of this slave girl, Naaman's attention was directed to Israel's king and to Elisha, the prophet of God. Elisha would be the person who would send him to the Jordan River to be healed of his leprosy. Naaman after receiving this information, which was relayed by the slave girl to Naaman's wife, which she immediately communicated what the girl said, got the ball rolling. In doing so, the wheels were put into motion to make things happen. Naaman was furnished a letter from the king of Syria to be taken to the king of Israel at Samaria and when they arrived they presented the king with a letter, gold, gifts, silver, and clothing, with the intention that the king would heal his leprosy. However, the king knew of the Syrians incursion on his borders, and the taking of his people, so he was afraid and puzzled that they would venture thus with such good intentions. The king's response was alarming and very emotional. So he said, "Am I God, that I can kill and give life? He is only trying to get an excuse to invade us again" (2 Kings 5:7). The king did not understand that this was a good faith visit. The king perceived that their coming had to be covered with an ulterior motive. So the king became highly upset.
Well, somehow the matter made its way to Elisha. When Elisha, the man of God heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, he sent this message to him, "Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet of God here in Israel" (2 Kings 5:8). So the message was relayed to Naaman and he and his entourage made their way to Elisha's home. Can you not see him in his spit shined uniform, polished boots, head forward, and all his medals of valor hanging and shining. As he pulled his horse up to the door, a messenger steps forward and said to Naaman, "Go wash in the Jordan River seven times and he would be healed of every trace of his leprosy" (2 Kings 5:10). Naaman was totally discombobulated about what had happen. This apparently rude reception to a foreigner of high dignity incensed Naaman to such a degree that he resolved to depart scornfully boasting that the rivers of Damascus were better than all the waters of Israel.
When my husband and I went to Israel in 2009, we visited the Jordan River. When we saw the river, it looked murky and green. We were somewhat surprised, because we had just passed the Sea of Galilee and it was so beautiful. People were getting baptized in the lower section of the Jordan, but we decided to miss this opportunity. The main baptism site is Yadrenit Baptismal Site and you could rent white robes for your baptism. Admission was free. The baptism site is at the tip of the Sea of Galilee. I can understand how Naaman felt about the Jordan River.
This well honored, respected commander, man of high character allowed the devil's pride to surface. It is the simple things, in the spiritual that we stumble over. The church has become a place for gimmicks and tricks, put a dollar in and God will do this, that, and the other for you. Plant a seed and watch it grow. Send a certain amount of money with your prayer request, and the preacher will lift it up to God, and your prayer will be answered.
But all Naaman had to do was be obedient to what the messenger of the prophet Elisha said and receive his blessing. However, Naaman felt disrespected, because Elisha did not come out to talk to him nor wave his hand over the leprosy to heal him. Why do we want to tell the man or woman of God how to handle the Word of God. Serving God is no voodoo science. The Word speaks for itself, and "God's word will not come back void." Naaman, although he was not under the covenant, he was who he was because God's favor was on him. Let's not forget that Naaman was not a Hebrew. The Jordan River with all its great history pertaining to the Hebrew children had no healing power. If Naaman was to be healed it would be through the power and might of a Sovereign God. His blessing would be the result of obedience. It is never tricks or trickery that we are delivered, it is through the blood of Jesus.
Allow me to help you better understand why "allowing pride to block your blessing" is so very wrong. First thing, Naaman was used to getting up in the morning looking into his own mirror, the mirror of pride. Naaman did not understand that by bringing all those gifts to the king, that God's favor couldn't be bought. God's favor is His gift to us, we do not deserve it nor can we earn or buy it. Naaman did not realize that the king was powerless to heal him. The king duties were to lead God's people.
Naaman did not realize that the prophet was only a tool in his deliverance. Elisha nor the Jordan could not heal him of his leprosy. Only God could. Naaman did not realize that "obedience was better than sacrifice." We need to do thus saith the word and not our will but God's will.
Once Naaman finished lifting himself up and degrading the Jordan River, comparing the beauty of the rivers of Damascus, Scripture tells us, "So he went away in a rage" (2 Kings 5:12). But his officers tried to reason with him and told him, "If the prophet had told you to do some great thing, wouldn't you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply to go and wash and be cured" (2 Kings 5:13). So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself in it seven times and his flesh became as healthy as a little child's. My, my, my, how we stumble over complicated things in the church and pertaining to the church.
There are always consequences of pride. The consequences are given by God and they varies according to each individual and the circumstance, because God knows what is in our hearts. The Bible clearly tells us, "The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and they way of evil and perverted speech I hate" (Proverbs 8:13). " For all that is in the world - the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life - is not from the Father but is from the world" (1 John 2:16). "For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself" (Galatians 6:3).