4 Major Pitfalls for Men Pt 1 Pride

There are 4 key areas we men must pay attention to at home, work, school or with our family. They are: Pride,laziness,anger & negativity.
We must not give in to these on any regular basis or they are likely to again surface regularly so we must defeat them each time.

The first and the worst: Pride

1) Pride is a condition of independence from God and man; attempting to live life on our terms, our way. Pride is as much about the way we do things as we can do right things the wrong way; Proverbs is full of descriptions of it:

Pr 10:4-The wicked’s pride keeps him from God
Pr 11:2- Brings shame
Pr 13:10– causes strife
Pr 16:18– Pride goes before destruction, before a fall
 
The antidote to pride is not deliverance because it surfaces in our very person, our ego, therefore it can’t necessarily be “cast out”. So it must be dealt with by humbling ourselves,choosing NOT to give into it. God gives grace to the humble. James 4:6 1 Peter 5:6
 
Choosing the humble road, to lay down our will,our way,not to speak, to still our thoughts and to wait on the Lord is the only way out. Pride is like the Nile crocodile described in Job 41:15– Leviathan’s rows of scales are his pride. This means he is untouchable,unassailable. A man can’t wrestle with it or  he will be pulled into the water. The only hope is to be still and play dead. Humbling ourselves brings us near the Lord. We must trust Him to bail us out. He wants to help  us.

Psalms 138:2-“Though the Lord is on high, yet He regards the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me.”