Devotion for today: rid yourself of pride

Our Lady of Kibeho stressed to her visionaries that man’s pride is a great offense to God. We live in a very prideful world, a world which has been this way since the time of Adam and Eve. It was pride, was it not, that caused the fall of man in the Garden and the fall of the angels from heaven? God warned his people in the Old Testament to avoid pride, and He continued to do so in the New. Is it no wonder we struggle so severely with this sin? To be a true disciple of Christ, and bring others to Him, we must work as hard as we can to obey God in all things, to stop reinventing our religion to accommodate our sins, and to find the strength to go up against the temptation to think more of ourselves than we do of God and our fellow man. We can only do this with the grace of God, and with an awareness of how much He hates what pride does to His beloved Children. Our goal in life should be to become saints. To do that, we must accept God's will for our lives, and live that will purely, humbly and with great love. If we are to be proud of anything, let us be proud of our role in God's plan for salvation. Performed well on the stage of life, it is the only role worthy of a reward, an eternal reward received in the arms of our Father. "Well done, my good and faithful servant." (Matthew 25:21)

Pride

Micah 6:8: He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.

Job 35:12: There they cry out, but he does not answer, because of the pride of evil men.

Proverbs 8:13: The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

Proverbs 11:2: When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but with the humble is wisdom.

Proverbs 16:18:  Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 29:23: A man's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.

Isaiah 2:11, 17: The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the pride of men shall be humbled; and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.

2 Chronicals 7:14: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin....

Sirach 10:12-13: The beginning of man's pride is to depart from the Lord; his heart has forsaken his Maker. For the beginning of pride is sin, and the man who clings to it pours out abominations. Therefore the Lord brought upon them extraordinary afflictions, and destroyed them utterly.

Matthew 18:4: Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 23:12: Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Luke 1:49-53: for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.

2 Timothy 3: But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,  treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

Prayer for humility: Jesus, help me to be authentically humble in the challenges of each day. Teach me what it means to be humble. Help me to wait my turn to speak and to be at peace when others outshine me. Grant that I may listen with a spirit of objectivity rather than an ‘I know it all’ attitude. Lord, grant that I not only be content with who I am, but have confidence that your grace can make me better! Help me to be obedient without resentment and ready to do Your Will. I ask that You make up for whatever I lack and increase those desires within me that lead to true humility. Most of all, help me to believe in your revelations, hope in Your word and love you more than myself. Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine! Amen. (Deacon Bill Steltemeier EWTN)