How Pastors Can Avoid the Sin of Pride
When pride walks on the platform, God walks off. Under major conviction from the Holy Spirit in 1995, in the early morning on a night when I could not sleep, God revealed this truth to me. It was not a truth about someone else, but a truth about me. During those early hours, God began a work within me that He is still doing in and through me daily.
Every pastor I know, but mostly this pastor, needs to continually learn the powerful truth from 1 Corinthians 15:31, “I die every day!” May the Lord teach us this truth.
Where We Are
The spiritual vital signs in this nation, in our churches, and in our individual lives display our desperate need for a word from God that hits us between the eyes, takes the wind out of our self-importance, reminds us that we are not God, and brings us to our knees. Unless we humble ourselves with fasting and prayer, we will not know real joy, we will not know God’s best for our lives, and we will never experience the great awakening we need personally and nationally.
We need to stop long enough to evaluate where we are. Would anyone question that we live under ominous clouds of spiritual darkness? Unless we bow humbly before our God, that cloud will become even thicker, and the church will find itself increasingly immobilized, unable to support itself because of its own dead weight. The answer to our spiritual crisis will not be found in the ballot box, but in the prayer closet. It will come through a fresh touch from the Lord, who wants to speak to us, move us, and manifest His mighty presence. Moving the furniture in our churches, denominations, or our own lives will not be enough. The answer to our spiritual crisis will come when we put off our mindsets of self-worship, territorialism, and the spirit of arrogance and pride, and put on the sackcloth of prayer, fasting, humiliation, and repentance before God.
What We See When Pride is Displayed
Those of us who think for even a moment that we are righteous are not righteous at all. When this happens, we are afflicted with a terminal disease called spiritual pride, the most deadly manifestation of our sinful nature. We often see pride display itself in one of two forms.
Greed – Greed hoards the time, money, or possessions we have been entrusted within life. Greed exists because of pride. Why do people not honor God with the first tenth of all God has given them? Greed comes from pride. Humility is demonstrated through obedience to God’s Word to giving; and when done, it removes the wall of greed. We can pray and fast for revival all day long, but we must stop the robbing from God that goes on weekly by the people of God. Humility removes the wall of greed.
Unforgiveness – Unforgiveness is prevalent in the lives of most Christians and in most churches. It occurs because of pride. I believe unforgiveness is the major obstacle to revival in today’s church. Pride is so powerful that unforgiveness has become the norm in most Christ followers and churches. This pride has built such a calloused heart in us that we are no longer bothered by having an unforgiving spirit toward others. Pride is powerful. It has destroyed men and women, families, businesses, churches, and governments. Most of all, it has grieved the Holy Spirit in the lives of many of us. Has it done that in you? Humility will lead us to the forgiveness of others.
The Power of Humility
Humility crushes the wall of pride in our lives. There is nothing more deadly than pride and the only cure is humility and brokenness. As pastors, we must do whatever it takes to see pride rooted out of our life and leadership. Quite honestly, the only thing that will remove the spirit of pride in us is to humble ourselves through fasting and prayer. When we humble ourselves before God with prayer and fasting, God will provide major spiritual breakthroughs. We will see breakthroughs regarding our pride, our greed, and even our unforgiveness. God’s gateway to spiritual breakthrough is prayer and fasting.
The next great awakening will be determined by the people of God who will get down on their knees, pray, fast, and believe that God is bigger than their circumstances, bigger than any election, bigger than any political party, and much bigger than we are. While we are in a dark midnight crisis spiritually in our nation, through prayer and fasting spiritual breakthroughs await us.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
Sheltered by God’s Presence
Where do you go when bad times come? Are you overwhelmed? Do you feel like the end is near? Do you sometimes feel one step away from doom?
You are not alone. Literally. The child of God is never abandoned. God is always near His children.
God is your shelter in the storm
Writing in Bible Studies for Life, Philip Nation says, “We’ve all experienced the pain of an unexpected crisis. When it happens, we scramble for shelter. We need something to cover us in the midst of the storm. The good news is that no matter what you’re facing, God is present. He doesn’t offer some sterile room as a shelter during your storms. He is the shelter. His presence with us is the only thing that can make sense of this life.”1
God is your comfort in the storm
One of the most comforting passages in scripture is also one of the most well known. The 23rd Psalm has comforted many an anxious follower of Jesus. No stress exists in this life that cannot be alleviated by the reading of David’s beautiful, inspired poem.
- Through shepherding imagery we are assured we will lack nothing because the LORD is our shepherd.
- We are assured of rest in green pastures, a refreshment beside still waters.
- We are promised a renewed life. God leads us along paths where He would have us go for the sake of His own name.
- We are promised His presence when we walk through the darkest valley. His presence is all we need when danger is near. We need not fear whatever we face. It is God Himself who comforts us.
- We are blessed abundantly with all we need: food, oil, and drink.
- The goodness and faithful love of God will pursue us all throughout life, and God’s house will be our house as long as we live.
The presence of God has long been a promise to those who follow Him. This presence is not mere wordplay; it’s more than a metaphor.
God’s presence is your shelter in the storm
Instead, God’s presence is a strong and real comfort to His children.
Psalm 46:11- “Yahweh of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.”
Isaiah 43:2- “I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. You will not be scorched when you walk through the fire, and the flame will not burn you.”
Matthew 28:20b- “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”2
Before He returned to the right hand of the Father, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit who would “come to us.”
God is with us
One of the names of Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us.” He is with you now and at all times in all situations.
Following Jesus is more than a slovenly pilgrimage in a barren land. It is the promise that wherever we are, and through whatever challenges we face, God is with us. He does not fail. He does not abandon. He does not quit. He is with us in every trial and every valley. When the shadows are all around, even to the point of covering the way, remember: there are no shadows without Light.
God is with us. He is with us always.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church
General Editor, Bible Studies for Life
President, Southern Baptist Convention
References
1- Bible Studies for Life, Storm Shelter, Philip Nation
2- All scriptures from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.