“The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” – Proverbs 16:5
We have spent the last several days talking about pride and what we need to do to get rid of it. But why is it so important not to have pride? Over the next three days, we will talk about three specific consequences that come directly from pride. The first thing pride does is prevent momentum in your relationship with the Lord.
In the book of Galatians, Paul lists 17 effects of living with pride. He says living a self-centered life will change your reality and your relationship with God. It is impossible for you to have a great relationship with God if you have pride in your heart. God hates pride and God wants to be the Lord of your life. But those two things do not go hand in hand.
Imagine dating a person who carried a mirror with them everywhere you went and never took their eyes off of themselves. When we have pride in our hearts, that is who we are. We are telling God that we are more beautiful and more necessary than He is.
This might sound like a crazy concept (because it is), but that is who we are when we act in a prideful manner. When you are prideful, you have chosen that you are wiser and more important than God. These are dangerous waters to tread because when you think like this, your relationship with God is stunted, and you can even find yourself outside the realm of His protection.
See, God protects us when we are obediently pursuing His will — not our will, but His. This does not mean everything in life will go great, but we will be protected no matter what comes our way. But when we decide we can handle things on our own, and we have it all figured out, we are no longer guaranteed that protection.
If you want the protection of Christ, along with all of the amazing benefits of having a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, you must not prevent the momentum of that relationship through pride!