Pride Must Be Dealt With

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. [Romans 1.21]

Following this verse, Paul goes on to explain gross sexual misconduct including homosexuality. This gross misconduct, although sinful enough in itself, was described not as the reason for God's anger, but as the result of God's anger for a greater sin, pride.

Paul describes people who would neither worship God as God nor even give Him thanks. In other words, they were proud and refused to acknowledge God's supremacy and sovereignty. Consequently, they found no thankfulness toward Him either.

Ezekiel gives a revelation about pride:

Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door. [Ezekiel 16.49]

Notice that Sodom's sin was not listed as sexual deviance! Sodom's sin was the very same as Satan's sin, pride. Sodom's sin was the very same as Paul described in Romans 1, pride.

Pride causes a person to serve self only, leaving the poor and needy without relief, and the result is the same throughout history: sexual deviance.

Does it seem sexual deviance is rampant in our cities? Does it seem that sexual deviance is no longer even viewed as deviance? It is not because sin is just getting worse and worse, but because pride is getting worse and worse! It is because people are seeking first their own well-being instead of the well-being of others!

Hollywood is not the problem either. Hollywood simply enables the pride monster that entertainment has become to people. Hollywood (and its entertainment) consumes precious time and resources that could and should be spent on the poor and needy instead.

But it's not just Hollywood that enables pride. The entire marketing scheme of the world has become about self-indulgence. Marketing goes straight to the pride monster and offers relief, pleasure, indulgence, pride, gluttony, the good life, less work, guilty pleasures... the list could go on for days. And, oh yeah, sex sells.

Is it any wonder then that sexual deviance is at an all-time high? Of course not! When we allow pride to be nourished, the natural manifestation is sexual deviance.

How do we combat pride? Put others first. The best starting place for putting others first is to pray for people (example: Jesus, Who prayed often and ministered greatly!). We must resist the temptation to pray for ourselves (that is the work of fellow believers). 

Selflessly ministering to others (based on the foundation of prayer) is the sure cure for pride. It was Jesus' way and it is the Kingdom way.

Father, once again I am realizing that pride cannot just be ignored, but must be proactively starved to death in me by prayer for, and ministry to others.