How to Handle Pride
Pride causes us to believe that we can manage life on our own. King Saul of Israel had a high opinion of himself that resulted in decisions contrary to God’s commands. For example, having defeated the Amalekites, Saul reasoned that he should take some spoils of war, even though God had said to destroy all the enemy’s belongings, including animals. When confronted by Samuel, Saul replied that he had spared the animals so he could sacrifice them to the Lord. God saw through his words to a heart of pride. When self-centeredness controls our thinking, we’ll seek ways around divine commands in order to serve ourselves. If caught, we may try to justify our disobedience, just as Saul did. If we have any self-exaltation in our life, we should spend some time with God today and ask Him to help us grow in humility.
