Episode 11: Unmasking your Prideful Nature

Hello friends, and welcome to a podcast dedicated to your personal growth journey alongside my personal insights. This episode asks: Why is pride considered one of the most dangerous sins? We explore the psychology behind different masks of pride, how they lead to denial, and why playing the victim can be so dangerous. This episode offers profound wisdom for self-improvement.

Transcript

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Why is it that pride is considered to be one of the most dangerous sins of all time? When I talk about pride, I'm referring to the kind that hides the truth from people, maintaining their egos up high, defending who they think they are, and in some cases, taking on the role of a victim. Most of the time, we are told not to carry mistakes, that we should never show our true colors, only showcase a facade, using a tactic to hide the truth, because if that truth were to get out, then our reputation would be on the line and probably damaged. Pride tells us to be perfect at all times, to punish ourselves if we commit mistakes. Well, what if I told you that pride is just a mask, one that can easily be removed? All we have to do is eliminate the lies and the limitations that it bears on us. Hello and welcome back to Wisdom Encounters Over Coffee, the show where we talk about the complications of a faith journey and how you can improve today to make your tomorrow a little better. My name is Peter, and on today's episode, we'll be discussing the dangers of pride and why removing your ego and the lies from within yourself is a crucial step to personal freedom. If you like what you hear and feel inspired, don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit that notification bell. Don't worry if you're not listening to the show on YouTube, as the show is also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen to your podcasts. With that being said, get some coffee, grab your nearby Bible, possibly a journal, and let's dive in. Because, ladies and gentlemen, this is going to be a tough one. What is wrong with being prideful? Why is it dangerous to carry this kind of mask? We may have been born with an inheritance of sin, however, we also have been born and created with an image, God's perfect design for us. But thanks to the fall of man, we often arrive without this knowledge, trying our very best to make it each day, trying to please people, and sometimes enduring trauma. A mask is forged as we go on day by day. It can be forged thanks to successes, failures, our dark beginnings, just about anything. Once a mask is forged, you begin to live a particular kind of life, the life of the flesh, where we do our best to blend in, become one with the world, become someone we aren't. The consequences of pride are very ugly. Pride creates a narrative about who we are that is often very flawed. It is not our fault if we let this consume us. Because before you make the decision to accept God as your Lord and Savior, you live a certain way. Time develops growth, and growth molds us as a specific type of person. Let's review what is written in the book of Proverbs about pride and why it is such a deadly thing to carry. Proverbs 11, verse 2 Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 29-23, pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor. Proverbs 13-10, pride leads to conflict. Those who take advice are wise. Proverbs 16-18, pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. All of these describe pride as a very lethal weapon, and yet it's one's mask that a lot of people carry daily. No matter what your profession, hobby, talent, or work field is, carrying pride and its lies will always find a way to limit and destroy you. It'll try its very best to shield your understanding of the truth, always able to find ways to remind you that you are right in all the time and that there is nothing wrong with you. The world is your enemy and you are facing trials and tribulations because you don't belong amongst others. Ladies and gentlemen, I used to live in this mentality myself. And honestly, there are times when I feel like I still carry these flaws. My pride mask was developing into that of a victim mindset. I was never the most popular kid growing up, and frankly, I was always verbally bullied. My pride mask was developing into that of a victim mindset, where anything anyone said could affect my walk, could affect me, could tell me to raise my shields, that I always had to be on defense because no one really appreciated me for who I was. I was also born and raised in a Christian household, but I didn't truly accept God into my heart until my early 20s. I was lost, believing the lie that the world was my enemy, that no matter how kind I am, that no matter how much I try, people would take advantage of me and hurt me. This was my pride mask. My lie. My fall. My shame. That is, until I finally reached rock bottom. I wanted to end my life. But then I got to meet the Lord, and he purified my way of thinking. This, however, is a story for another time. Returning to pride, pride has a horrible way of attacking people. What we endure each day, how we are betrayed, disappointed, damaged, and deceived, this is very common amongst ordinary people. I'm sure, just as you're listening to these words, someone comes to mind. Someone who disappointed you. Someone who couldn't be enough. Someone who failed to meet your expectations. Just because we are successful doesn't exactly mean that we are living a complete and holy life. There is no such thing as a perfect individual. And if you are relying on man or woman to solve all your problems, you, my dear listener, are fooling yourself and preparing for a world of pain and sorrow. Take a look at the situation seen here in Psalms 73, verses 3 through 9. For I envied the proud. When I saw them prosper, despite their wickedness, they seem to live such painless lives. Their bodies are so healthy and strong. They don't have troubles like other people. They aren't plagued with problems like everyone else. They wear pride like a jeweled necklace and clothe themselves with cruelty. These fat cats have everything their heart could ever wish for. They scoff and speak only evil. In their pride, they seek to crush others. They boast against the very heavens and their words strut throughout the earth. I'm sure with this visual in mind, it can just reveal so many things. Familiar faces will be brought up either from people you like or you detest. Throughout time, chances are that we've come across one or two individuals who match these Bible verse, who wear a mask of pride daily, ruining our days, or unknowingly ruining ourselves, because we might be the ones wearing the pride mask. Wondering why people can't respect us or treat us in the way we want them to? The point I am trying to make here is that fame, riches, and self-worth towards people means nothing if you think that you will always be the winner in the scenario. Success can be achieved, but it can never be kept. Not eternally, at least. If we aren't careful, then how on earth can we ever expect our lives to be in order? How can we expect to live in humility by never taking responsibility for our own actions? How can we live a better tomorrow if we don't fall on our knees from our perfect lives? Quote unquote. We must lift our hands, renounce our sins, and give it all to God for a true cleanse, making the work to be humble, accept defeat, instead of proving our worth to someone else. Proverbs 8, verses 13 through 17 says, All who fear the Lord will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech. Common sense and success belongs to me. Insight and truth are mine. Because of me, kings reign and rulers make just decrees, rulers lead with my help, and nobles make righteous judgments. I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me. Searching for the Lord removes the darkness from the soul, the heaviness of the mind, and all that makes you weak. Pride only shields you from the truth, creates a wall of lies, whether it's for the sake of being successful or for manipulative purposes. The victim mask often tells us that we are always in the right, that the world is our enemy. This allows us to block away from so many potential connections because we believe that they'll treat us in the same way as those who have hurt us before, especially when transitioning into new environments or moving into new places, new cities. We're always on defense, hides us from the truth. Staying within the shadows, living in lies can deceive you and hold you back from your true purpose. The design for which God has called you to be on our temporary time on earth. This is a very convicting word. And chances are that you won't agree with any of this at all. However, if you are done with the mind games, the lies, the deceptions, and the pain, then invite God into your life. Let him heal what is broken and forge what needs to be built. Proverbs 3, verses 5 through 8 reminds us that we should trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. My dear listeners, our battle is not by flesh or by might. The more we fight, the more we think we understand everything. We build and create strongholds that shouldn't be a part of our lives. We think we know so much that we don't need to know anything else. That everything we see and don't know yet is meaningless. Having the mindset that claims we are better than everyone else is very dangerous. If you're good at something, then know there is always someone who will be able to do it better than you. Don't be prideful and arrogant. Open your eyes to the heavens. Know that there are so many dark spirits that are trying to steal, kill, and destroy everything we hold dear. This is the threat of the enemy, and it brings us so many trials and tribulations. This is what we are fighting daily, not a person, not a thing, just a lies that ravages the mind. Oh, you think you're so perfect that there is nothing wrong with you? But the truth is that you are living in a lie. Believing that we're perfect in all sorts of ways is a way of pride. And in 1 John 8 through 10, it is written, if we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. You want to unmask your pride or do you want to keep on living in lies? If you really want freedom, then fall on your knees. Repent. Ask God to forgive you and be humble in the acceptance of your own flaws. Don't believe the lie that you are always in the right, my friends. Chances are that many of you have been deceiving yourselves, making yourselves and others alike believe you are someone you aren't. That you are so perfect, and that no one can ever be like you. That lie you've been hiding from everyone may have been hurting those close to you, and you haven't been as honest as you really think. Playing around with emotions just makes the world your play toy. People can fall on their knees for you, which is another way of pride. Don't let the darkness and the lies catch up to you and hurt you or others further. God will clean you up. Give him the chance to restore, and he will heal you. Don't play with God and make a lie out of your own life. Because if not, then you're declaring that he has no place in your heart, that he's a liar. But no, you shouldn't play with it. It's time to walk in the truth. And sometimes the truth reveals a lot about who we really are, renouncing the lies. Do not believe it's a part of our normal. Chances are that we are living a role that doesn't belong to us. As it is written in Philippians 2, verses 3 through 4. Don't be selfish. Don't try to impress others. Be humble. Thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others too. Be humble. Give up your main character role. You are but a lamb in a world full of other sheep. Jesus is our shepherd. He guides our every path. You think you're in the right? That there is nothing wrong with you? Oh, you of so little faith, I am afraid you are living a lie. Give up yourselves. Walk away from the lie before you get hurt even more. If you think the story is all about you and your pain, that you are unflawed and everyone is the bad guy, then you are living in a hopeless fantasy. You're not the only one inhabiting this world. And chances are that many relate to what you're going through. Are you only going to care for your own intentions? Living in lies that the world revolves around you and only you? Or will you give up your selfishness? Be honest and humble with yourself. To end this session, we're going back to the book of Proverbs, this time covering chapter 22, verses 3 through 5. A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life. Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road. Whoever values life will avoid it. Choose your friends wisely and be careful with whom you befriend. If you sense danger and potential manipulation, run away. Don't fight into action. Don't make things even. Don't be a fool. Don't do it to yourself. If God shuts down that relationship, then run away and never return. God was saving you from a fate worse than death. Self-infliction, self-hatred, absolute depression. If God says something is over, then it's over. There's no going back to something that hurt you. Especially if that person has been lying to you the whole time. Or maybe you've done the lying yourself. Some people carry a very deep sense of pride. And that's why these people tend to hurt, manipulate, lie, or cheat. It's terrible. This is an example of many, but danger always shows itself when the enemy is about to strike us down. Don't be a fool and avoid the danger. Avoid the lies. Unmask your pride and know your limits. Be humble. We are mankind. We aren't perfect and we are destined to fail. We fail time and time again just to rise from the ashes, becoming the person we were actually born to be. Unmask that pride. Don't live off those lies. Wow. Ladies and gentlemen, that may have been the most intense episode so far. But let's end this time with a little prayer. Dear God, we thank you for this day. Let us be glad to rejoice in it. Please, God, please forgive us for our sins. Please, God, please remove the pride masks from people who are still carrying them. Remove the lies that they need to find acceptance in men, that they need to find acceptance by lying, that they need to find acceptance by never showing their flaws, by putting themselves on defense all the time. That is no longer an identity and that's no longer a truth, Lord. Please, Jesus, please, I just ask you that you can just set my friends free. Set all the listeners free, especially those who want to make an impact in their lives, who want to make a change. Jesus, I ask you, Lord, to just heal those who have been hurt. Heal those who have been damaged. Heal those who have been deceived. And please, God, please forgive us for our own lives. Forgive us for what we have done. Thank you, Jesus. In your name we pray. Amen. Who wow. Ladies and gentlemen, this episode was very, very intense. I hope you guys enjoyed this. I hope you guys got something out of this, because this was a really tough one to talk about. This was a very tough topic, and to this day, it just stings. Thank you so much for listening. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make His face shine upon you and give you peace. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and comment down below what kind of mask you're getting rid of today. Thank you so much for your time. God bless and have a wonderful day.