1Peter 5:5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” NIV
I was raised as a conservative evangelical. In my early years as a believer, I was taught to look down on those churches we call "orthodox churches" in Nigeria and some denominations as worldly and heretic.
It grew to become a spiritual stronghold that prevented me getting blessed whenever I meet someone from there. God began to deal with me on this starting from 2003. In my circle of friends, there was a firebrand sister raised from one of those churches we normally tag as "worldly."
Coming to know this sister closely and her depth of walk with God, spiritual pride was dealt a huge blow by God. At some point, I've attended and ministered in those churches we deemed worldly and heretic. I must say that I found God there.
Most of those churches that thought God was exclusively theirs are now a shadow of their past. Silently, power leaked out, sound doctrine died and what is left is noise, old glory and an outward display of life but internally they're dead. I've been around for sometime and I know what I'm saying.
According to an online dictionary, pride is defined as the feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.
Pride is the feeling or mentality that makes you think you're better than others. Pride makes a man look down on others as worthless and without value. If this extends into our walk with God, we will miss God over and over because God oppose the proud but he gives grace only to the humble.
I think spiritual pride was one of the problems Pharisees and Saducees had when Jesus came on the scene. You may not see it that way but in my personal opinion, I think it is.
To be a Pharisee requires alot especially knowledge about the law of Moses. Saducees are picked from the wealthy families. They are aristocrats and they also possess a deep knowledge about the Mosaic law.
Here comes Jesus, the son of a carpenter who never attended any Rabbinic school yet he claimed to have knowledge about God and spiritual things. How do you think a Pharisee or Saducee would be patient to listen to an ordinary Jewish carpenter teach?
Spiritual pride prevented them from encountering God through Jesus.
Today, spiritual pride comes in shades of many colours. There are believers or ministers who would never sit to learn under anyone they perceive does not have their 'spiritual qualification'. So wrong!
They may ask questions like: 'did he go to Bible school'? Does he run a mega church? That someone pastor a small church doesn't mean he cannot be used by God to minister to the Bishop of a large cathedral. God doesn't work like that.
God can use a teenager to meet the spiritual need of a General overseer only if he is humble. Spiritual pride robs us of many blessings. Some will never take notes in church when their junior or someone they brought into the faith is preaching.
I see spiritual pride often and God is warning us about it especially those of us in the ministry. Don't sit like a father of spiritual sons in God's presence when God has chosen to speak to you through those you call sons. Sit and learn like a learner under the feet of the master.
Do all you can to fight spiritual pride, it is an enemy of spiritual encounter.
Father, I receive the grace to mortify spiritual pride in my life In Jesus name.