Jude 16
These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want. (New Living Translation)
Are you murmuring and faultfinding?
When you think about a prideful person, what comes to mind? Believe it or not, people who are full of pride constantly stand in judgement. Continually making assessments of themselves and everything around them. They make comparisons at every level, and they are often very unconstructive. You don’t want to be the type of person who has a negative outlook. That negativity often comes from comparing what you think with the thoughts and activities of others.
What is the benefit of looking around to see what someone else has that you don’t have? Or what you have that someone else does not have? It is a trick of the enemy. That is the first step into apostacy (renouncing Christianity’s beliefs and principles). The devil wants you to spend so much time assessing, judging and comparing that you become puffed up, angry and/or disillusioned with God. First you start subtly pointing out differences. Then it gets more intense until that is all you do. You find things that are wrong at home, at the office, at the church, with your boss, with the pastor, with the policies, the procedures and anything and everything else.
The sad thing is your negative conversation is for the sole purpose of promoting yourself because you are full of pride. You would have done it differently and you could do it better. All the while the devil is sitting back, rubbing his hands and laughing. His next trap for you to step into is to engage in competition for a position or a title. You will use what you consider to be your strengths and abilities, and you will say and do things to curry favor.
If you are that person, you will also find you spend more time complaining about God, than celebrating God. You will be busy trying to scheme and work to attain what Jesus already paid the price for. (Read Isaiah 14:12-21)Stop right now and ask God for forgiveness and deliverance. You will have lost the joy and the peace gained by the victory of the cross, but it does not have to stay that way.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. (KJV)
Please agree with me as I pray:
Father, help me recognize when I’m being negative, but more importantly when I am being prideful. I know you have called me to a position of influence. I also can persuade people because You allow them to see me as confident and self-assured. It does not matter if I actually am as confident as they think. I never want my attitude and comments to taint someone. I know I can come to You and confess and be washed, but they might just be left in that place. Help me to see You at work, in everything and in everyone. Help me to encourage others to follow and to obey Your word and Your voice, only. I don’t want to be the one who is pulling others away because of my feelings or opinions. Bridle my tongue when I am overwhelmed. I want to build up and not tear down. Father God, I want You to use me for Your glory. I don’t want to wonder what Jesus would do. I need You to help me talk like Jesus did. Help me walk like Jesus did. Help me act like Jesus did. Help me live like Jesus did …