Little Foxes that Spoils the Vine

God has been bringing my attention to pride in my heart recently, today I came across this from El-Shakar in reply to a question on pride someone had asked in the Heavens Gate Academy group… Do enjoy and share your takeaway.

El Shakar:
A good general spends a great deal of time getting to know his enemy, long before he initiates the first attack.

It observes how the enemy thinks, it observes what the enemy likes, it observes the different ways the enemy loves to strike.

Pride is an enemy and you need first of all take note of how it manifests within you.

How do you feel when someone else is complimented for something you believe you also possess?

What kind of thoughts does it make you have?

Do you find yourself all of a sudden thinking of your own attributes when you see or hear another person being commended?

Do you find yourself regularly deciding who should and who shouldn’t be commended for what?

When you are complimented, do you immediately see yourself thinking of other people you believe or wish you are better than?

When others are spoken well of and you are ignored, do you find yourself all of a sudden bringing out files and files of their flaws, almost as though you’re having a counter argument in your head why they don’t deserve it?

Do you notice yourself getting resentful towards people who you feel didn’t notice you or people who got noticed above you?

Do you find yourself all of a sudden trying in different ways to get them to see, notice and applaud you?

I’m just giving these questions as a guideline for you to use to begin observing yourself and the various ways pride may work in your heart.

When you begin to identify them, when you can catch yourself in a proud moment, that’s the first step to defeating it.

Humility is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

It is something that unfolds naturally from us when begin to realize just how incomplete we are.

Humility is stirred from within us out when we start to realize just how much we don’t know, just how much better we can get.

Humility is formed within when we approach God daily with a heart of ‘I don’t know, teach me’.

Humility is also formed when we begin to realize that we learn more in times that we listen than in times that we speak.

Humility is formed when we start to recognize that there is something to learn, something to gain, from everyone around us.

Practice by listening to others more and speaking less.

That voice that tells you your opinion is the most important in a conversation, identify it, arrest it and muzzle it. It is a liar.

Receive every compliment given but receive as much of it as is true, challenge yourself with the rest that are yet to be true.

People’s estimations of us are not always accurate. They perceive us through a colored lens and praise or curse us through that same lens.

Don’t take the words of people to heart more than you should. Do not allow yourself depend on it because opinions change like the weather, it is not a sure foundation to build one’s identity

Humility isn’t taught, it is something that unfolds naturally when we begin to see our weaknesses in light of God’s strength.

This is something that God can cause you to see if you really desire it. Pray for it, tell your father that you wish to develop true humility and he will help you.

He will help you to see the foolishness of pride and he will build you.

Also cultivate the habit of spending time amongst people who are superlatively ahead of you, people who make you say ‘goodness me, I know nothing’.

It is very very very important in one’s spiritual journey. It is one of the things that stimulates us to grow and press forward.

It inspires us and keeps us from being lethargic. It also humbles us and frequently reminds us that despite all we’ve attained, there is still something more than us.

The local champion spirit is an unfortunate spirit that we must not tolerate. The local champion spirit basks in small rooms and shrinks in big rooms.

It enjoys being around people it perceives to be less and shivers at the idea of being around people it perceives to be greater.

It enjoys being needed by many and it hates to need. It deludes itself that it has achieve the summit of knowledge and surrounds itself with people that help feed this delusion.

We must be careful of the local champion spirit.

Small rooms are good, it helps us build our confidence and surefooting. It, however, must be counterbalanced with a big room where its attainments are tested, challenged and stretched.

In summary, observe yourself and the various ways pride manifests and inspires you to act.

Make those discoveries your prayer points, as well as areas to be more intentional about.

E.g – You find yourself all of a sudden harboring negative thoughts because a girl who people seem to prefer to you. Catch yourself in that moment, do not allow yourself to entertain such thoughts no matter how tempting, pray to the Holy Spirit to help you.

Pray to God to teach you what true humility is and expect him to do so through an experience he will give to you.

Surround yourself with people who are beyond you, people with better values, knowledge and more attainment than you.

You can do this in person if you are fortunate to have such people or you can do it through books.

Above all remember no matter what you know, the unknown will always be superlatively greater than the known.

The known is a minority, the unknown is a majority.