The Deception of Pride

“The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee… ” —Obadiah 1:3

Pride is very subtle, like the author of pride—the devil. Most of the time we aren’t even aware of it’s presence in our life until we do an honest evaluation of our hearts.  Even then, it may take God to reveal the pride that lurks in the recesses of our soul. Someone has said, “Pride is like bad breath.  Everyone knows when you have it, except yourself!

Here are ten simple questions that will help you determine if you are harboring pride in your life. I call them “Pride Detectors.”

1. Does it irritate you when someone corrects you?
2. When you make a mistake, do you always have an alibi or excuse?
3. Do you find it difficult to admit you are wrong?
4. Are you reluctant to trust people fearing you might get hurt?
5. Do you feel you deserve to be treated better by other people than you are?
6. When someone wrongs you, do you write them off saying, “I don’t need him anyway”?
7. Do you find it hard to ask for advice?
8. Do you crave the approval of others and feel slighted if you don’t get it?
9. Are you slack in offering thanks to others?
10. Do you take pleasure in proving you are right or another wrong?

Answering “yes” to any of these questions means there is a spirit of pride lurking in your life.