Deadliest of all Sins: Pride

We've all heard the old Proverb--Pride goes before distruction, and haughty spirit before a fall.  That one is actually in the Bible. Proverbs 16:18
What is pride exactly? Pride is a noun meaning a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.
Okay, so I think I'm important, big deal. Yeah...it is a BIG deal. It is a HUGE deal...it is wrong.  Why? Our society today teaches self importance.  Everyone needs to feel special!  Everyone needs to be the best and know that they are the best. Women especially are being taught from birth now that we have to be "proud" of our place as women, and we can even match men in strength, political office, etc.
We are saturated with this view in the media of how to act and look and measure up to the rest. I mean, if you don't then there is something wrong with you.
Why is it wrong to have pride? Well, who are you placing on high ground when you are prideful? How can you ever truly put others before yourself when you are prideful? If you have a high opinion of your importance, you are going to be viewing others as less than yourself and, eventually, you are going to show it. 
Pride goes directly against what the gospels teach us of what we should be to others. Is is listed, often, with sins of defilement.  Mk 7:21-22 "From within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder adultery, coveting, wickednesss, deceit, licentiosness, envy, slander, pride,  foolishness. All of these things come from within, and they defile a man."
Jesus said all of those things come from the heart.  The source of our feelings which manifest themselves in our deeds. If you are harboring something in your heart, sooner or later your deeds will show it. In Luke 1:51, Mary acknowledges how God has "scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts."  Wow...I love that line. Other translations say He has "dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart."  Either way, that's a pretty awesome line. 
In her Magnificat, Mary, the Mother of God, is ... wait, yeah, the MOTHER OF GOD...wasn't she supposed to feel special? Shouldn't she, according to our society standards, have been walking around going "Oh, yeah, God chose ME!  I'm special. I'm the one that will be called blessed! Don't you wish you were like me?" No. Mary, in the passage in Luke known as the Magnificat is displaying just the opposite. She is displaying her total and complete humility.  She knows where to acknowledge her goodness. She knows the source of her happiness.  In the first lines, she says, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my Spirit rejoices in God my savior." 
So here we have the girl who was chosen, prepared even before birth, to be the mother of our Lord, and she is giving credit to God in a beautiful act of humility.  I wish we could all be so honest and that our hearts could be so pure.
But why the deadliest of all sins? And what does that mean? Well, it means simply that if your prideful you are killing your soul. It means that you are putting yourself and your wants and your priorities and your plans above God. It means that, while your are saying, with your words that Jesus is the Lord, that in your heart that only goes as far as not getting in your way.
Let me ask this question. How can you serve others if you are prideful? Serving doesn't mean reaching out when it is convenient, or when the "extra" money is there, or when you don't have other plans. It means giving of whatever time, talent, and treasure you have until it hurts. It means saying, "Ok, God, this wasn't in my plan, or my budget, but I know it is the right thing to do."
Will you get your hands dirty? Does that homeless person who smells bad make you say, "I"m just not 'called' to that?" Guess what, get over yourself...we are ALL called to that.
Let me ask another question. When was the last time you looked at someone and honestly thought, "someone needs to teach her how to fix her hair". I'm sorry, oh prideful one, Jesus didn't plant that in your heart.  Yeah, that's pride.  That is thinking you are above that person somehow.
How many people don't have children, because they are too busy living out their plans. Was that God's plan for them?
How many people's homes are full of earthly treasures, and they give their $100 a month or whatever to church and charity? That's pride.
What is the opposite of pride, and how do we fix it, because we are all guilty? Humility.  Pray to be humble. That doesn't mean walking around with your head hanging low and your shoulders slumped saying, "I know I suck and I'm worthless". We don't need that in the world, either. What we need are those who work in humility to perform works of greatness.  Look at Mother Theresa!!  Oh my goodness, what a perfect example of humility that was used to display the greatness of God! She never took anything for herself, and she never ever took credit for her work. It was Love, it was God. It was always others first. She was also known for her strength and her courage. But she was humble.
I want everyone to do me a favor. Go get a Bible. If you don't have one with you..go to biblegateway.com and look up 2 Timothy 3:1-9.  Read it and think about what we see around us today.
Where is our humility? Where is our love? Do we use Biblical teachings as an excuse for our pride? Most of us are guilty of that from time to time. I've often heard, "the Bible says I am to..." as an excuse for neglect, or an excuse to hurt someone's feelings. 
How is that humility? How is that serving others? You know what...I don't care who you think you are, or who you think you are supposed to put first, but unless it is God, then others, you are wrong.
Is your marriage important? Yes, please, make it a priority, but not at the expense of hurting others, because then you have made it something born of pride. Is your budget important? Yes, you have to feed your family, but when was the last time you took from the top and fed someone else? Not just with the leftover. Is your knowledge important? Yes, but when was the last time you really took the time in truth and love and FAITH, to seek out someone else's point to see if maybe, just maybe, you could meet them half- way?
Pride will not allow Jesus to work in you, because you have to be able to admit you are nothing. Pride will not allow the Holy Spirit speak to you, because you have to die to self. Pride will not allow you to do the will of God, because you are putting your will always ahead of His. The deadliest of all sins. The sin that will keep your heart from God. The sin that will not allow you, in truth and honesty to proclaim Jesus as your savior. Pride--the sin that makes Satan jump for joy, because in it he has you right where he wants you to be.