The Games We Play with God: Pharaoh's Pride: A Lesson in Humility

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Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the Dally of a Black Woman podcast.

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I'm your host, Connie Morris, and I'm so excited to continue our series,

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The Games We Play With God.

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Today's episode is called The Destructive Power of Pride, game number three.

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We're going to talk about how pride can lead us away from God,

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disrupt relationships, and ultimately bring destruction.

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If you ever struggle with pride, whether it's refusing to ask for help,

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seeking credit, or resisting correction, this episode is for you.

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So let's dig into one of the Bible's most explicit examples of pride.

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It's Pharaoh and his hardened heart.

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Pharaoh's pride and its consequences.

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Our key scripture today comes from Exodus chapters 7 through 14.

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And just for the sake of time, I will not be reading seven chapters to you on this podcast.

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But I do recommend that you take time out and read this story about Pharaoh's

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interaction with Moses and the plagues of Egypt.

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And we know in chapter 14 that Pharaoh and his army was drowned in the Red Sea

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because of his refusal to let the people go,

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let God's people go.

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We see here that Pharaoh's pride was evident from the beginning.

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He refused to let the Israelites go.

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Even after God showed his power through miraculous signs and devastating plagues,

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his repeated refusal to submit to God didn't harm just him.

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It brought refusal to his entire nation.

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And we know for a fact that,

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That in the Bible, these chapters, chapter 7 to 14,

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that Pharaoh's being king, his people suffered because he refused to bow to the name of God.

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Verse 13, chapter 7, verse 13 in Exodus, it says, but Pharaoh's heart was hardened

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and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord has said.

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Pharaoh's story teaches us an important truth.

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Pride isn't just about arrogance. Here we go.

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It's about refusing to recognize God's authority and thinking we know better than him.

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Oh, my gosh.

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Pride isn't about refusing to recognize God's authority.

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It's thinking we know better than him. So we can't like give the.

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You know, look at Pharaoh in a different look, like give him the side eye because

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Pharaoh is disobedient.

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Because a lot of times we are just regular human people got to give us a plan

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and we go, I'm going to do it my way. And then what happens?

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That's pride. When we do it thinking we know better than God.

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Pride blinds us to God's warnings and keeps us stuck in a cycle of disobedience. Why?

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Because we'll keep doing it. It's got to happen. It's got to work. It's got to work.

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It's got to work. When we already know it did not work the first time,

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it is not going to work the 20th time.

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My question to you is, where is pride keeping you from listening to God in your life?

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Or others who God has sent to get you out of that cycle of disobedience?

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And we know what that is. We know who that may be.

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You know, even you know that you're in disobedience. but you just refuse because

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you think you know better than God.

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The rule of pride. Pride often stems from a desire for control or recognition.

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We want to be seen as strong, capable, or essential, and that can lead us to

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resist God's guidance or dismiss the need of others.

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Proverbs 16, 18 reads, pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

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Pharaoh's refusal to humble himself before God led to his downfall.

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By the time he finally released the Israelites, Egypt has suffered a misloss,

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including the death of the firstborn son.

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My question to you is, are there areas in your life where pride is causing unnecessary struggles.

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Pride, thinking you know more than God, is causing you to have unnecessary struggles.

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I think that kind of hit something on, like, some people say, what is this problem?

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What is this problem? I think you have found your answer.

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You have found your answer to your unnecessary struggle. You have found your

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answer to your stuck cycles of life.

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Why do I keep feeling like I'm going in a circle?

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Why do I keep feeling like I am struggling?

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Because you are in pride.

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Pride isn't just a problem for ancient rulers. It shows up in our daily lives

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in subtle and not so subtle ways. Number one, refusing help.

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We often think we can handle everything on our own, even when God places people in our lives to help.

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You know, I, my daughter was one time, she said, I told her to stop saying that

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I don't need no man in my life. Okay.

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Then you keep doing all the hard work, you know? So she went and learned how

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to put this together and that together.

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I said, that still does not take the place of a man.

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And so stop, you know, and doesn't really take the place of God.

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So a lot of times we become masters of everything, you know,

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and in a place as a substitute to say we don't need anybody, right?

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But yet we do need somebody to help us.

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God has put male and female together for a reason, so you don't have to work so hard.

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And so refusing help, refusing the help that God places in our life,

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refusing even to listen to the Holy Spirit when he speaks to you.

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Number two, taking credit When things go well, we're quick to claim the glory

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instead of giving it to God. And we know it's God.

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We know it's God.

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Right? So I'm quick to say that had to have been a God thing because,

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you know, however that added up, that just wasn't mapping up for me to have any credit.

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It just doesn't happen in people normal day, you know?

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So give God the credit.

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And then pride, number three, rejecting correction. Pride makes it hard to accept

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constructive criticism or admit where we're wrong. How about this?

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Critical feedback. Feedback helps you grow. I don't believe anybody gets it right the first time.

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But you can get it right the second time after someone gives you just some constructive feedback.

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Proverbs 11.2 says, when pride comes, then comes disgrace.

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But with humility, humility comes wisdom.

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Got to do that one more time. When pride comes, then comes disgrace,

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but with humility comes wisdom. That's Proverbs 11.2.

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So you already know you're about to be embarrassed if you walk in in pride,

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but if you walk in humility, you will have wisdom.

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How do we overcome pride and stop playing the game of pride?

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We acknowledge God's sovereignty. We recognize that everything we have comes from Him.

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James 1.17 tells us that every good and perfect gift is from above,

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coming down from the Father of heavenly lights.

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So recognizing God's sovereignty, that everything comes from Him.

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Number two, practice humility. Humility isn't about thinking less of yourself.

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It's about thinking of yourself less. What?

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Humility isn't about thinking less of yourself. It's about thinking of yourself less.

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James 14, I mean, sorry, James 4.10 reads, humble yourself before the Lord and

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he will lift you up. Oh my gosh.

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Humble yourself before the Lord and he will lift you.

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So we see here that when we humble ourselves before the Lord,

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he will lift you up. Number three, seek accountability.

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Surround yourself with people who can point out when pride is creeping in.

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I just said a pause on that one

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because a lot of times we don't surround ourselves with the right people.

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And we walk around with all the ducks walking in a row. And after a while,

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you're like, somebody got to move out the way and tell this person that pride

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is in the way or pride is creeping in.

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So surround yourself with someone who can actually point out that pride is creeping in.

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So how do you stop playing the game of pride? You acknowledge God's sovereignty.

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You practice humility and you seek accountability.

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Decrees for conquering pride. Let's declare these truths together.

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Father, I decree that I will walk in humility, recognizing God's authority over my life.

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I decree that I will give God the glory for every success and blessing. Hallelujah.

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I decree that I will remain teachable, embracing correction and growth.

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What is your assignment for this week? I just want to encourage you to reflect

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on areas where pride might be showing up in your life.

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Ask yourself, where am I resisting God's guidance or help from others?

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You know, where is your head too big to bow?

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I like that one. When your head is too big to bow, that might be a devotion.

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How can I practice humility in my relationships and decisions?

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So I want you to pretty much begin to notice when your head is too big to bow,

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or you just got to feel like you're a center of attention,

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or you don't have any humility in your life, or you resist God's guidance or help from others.

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I like that. That's a good one. When your head is too big to bow. Wow.

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So each day, thank God for one thing in your life that you know comes from him.

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And when you wake up and you're breathing, thank you, Lord, for another day.

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Thank you, Lord, for the food that you've given me to eat. Thank you,

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Lord, for the car you've given me to drive.

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Thank you, Lord, for money to even buy my lunch today.

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Thank you for money to even have gas in my car to get my hair done,

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Lord God. I know it's a simple thing.

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Thank you. Just thank you. Gratitude is a powerful way to keep pride in check.

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Thank you for my children who are doing well and able. They're not in prison.

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They're not sick. They're not in the hospital.

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Thank you for the job that you gave me. Yes, it's working me hard.

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I'm happy tired, but I thank you. Thank you for this job.

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You know, just being, having an attitude of gratitude and a head that's not too big to bow.

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So let's close out in prayer. Heavenly Father, I want to thank you for the lessons

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that you teach us about pride and humility.

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Forgive us for the times we let pride take root in our hearts.

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Help us to walk humbly before you, recognizing that all we have and all we are comes from you.

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Teach us to listen to your guidance and to give you glory in all things.

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And let our head not be too big to bow.

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In Jesus' name, amen.

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I want to thank you again for joining me on this episode of The Games We Play With God.

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If this message resonates with you, share with a friend and subscribe so you

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won't miss the next episode where we will discuss game number four,

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rebellion against God's order.

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Until next time, stay humble, stay rooted, and be blessed.