The Animals Can Teach Us

My husband has a bumper sticker for his car that says, "Lord let me be the person my dog thinks I am."

I would like a bumper sticker for my car that says, "Lord let me love You, the way my Dog loves me."

Our dog and cat, when sitting in our lap, are constantly looking backward into our face. They cannot take their eyes off of us.

I once heard a teacher of the Word say that the word for worship in its original language, had the connotation of the way a dog looks at his master.

When we have to spank a naughty pet, they do not fight back, nor do they hold a grudge, they usually crawl back in submission to win us again, then we love them up and all is fine.

If we could be this dedicated to God first and then our Christian brothers and sisters, we would grow in holiness and have wonderful relationships with our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

When all pride is removed, we can see more clearly our need and the needs of others. Pride destroys all chance of growth in holiness. It prevents relationships from reconciling, and even escalates a problem, since pride in someone, causes them to refuse to hear a matter before answering, while demeaning their target. Pride thinks only of self first, negating the plight of others, even lacking empathy and kindness.

Pride prevents honesty and spiritual discernment. When we walk in pride we interpret things wrongly, believing we are right when we may be wrong. Pride will not allow us to see truth.

The best thing to do when we are feeling a sense of pride is to confess it immediately, asking God to help us see the truth of a matter before making any decisions, asking him to open our eyes to anything we are unable to see.

The less pride we have in us the better! We cannot possess love, kindness, empathy and giving, genuinely, as long as pride exists in us. All our good deeds will be for self glorification and will foster more pride in our hearts and even anger when others don't validate our good deeds.

A person who is humble will take criticism to prayer, answer honestly when the truth is discovered and even be grateful for the correction. When we have been accused falsely, we may speak of it but there is no sense that we need to win in a discussion over the false accusation, we can leave that to the Lord.

Proverbs 11:2 "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom."

Proverbs 11:2 "2 When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom."

Proverbs 16:5 "Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished."

Proverbs 29:23 "A man’s pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor."

Proverbs 16:18 "Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling."

Galatians 6:3 "3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself."

Proverbs 27:2 "Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips."

Proverb s 26:12 "Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him."

James 4:6 "6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Jeremiah 9:23 "23 Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;"

Philippians 2:3 "3 Do nothing [a]from [b]selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;"

1 John 2:16 "16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world."

Romans 12:16 "16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation."

2 Timothy 3:2, 1 Corinthians 10:31,13:4, Proverbs 11:12, Proverbs 8:13, Proverbs 30:12, Romans 11:17-21, Romans 12:2, Proverbs 25-27, 2 Corinthians 12:7, 1 Peter 5:5, Romans 12:3, 2 Corinthians 10:5,18, Matthew 23:10-12.

There are too many passages to list here, God has spoken clearly and loudly on the matters of pride and humility. All we have to do is read His Word to be cleansed of any sin of pride that He might work humility in us.