Hollywood Prayer Network On PrideSample

APPROPRIATE PRIDE

"I look upon pride as a sin." Tommy Lee Jones 

"The proud person always wants to do the right thing, the great thing. But because he wants to do it in his own strength, he is fighting not with man, but with God." Soren Kierkegaard

PRAY:  Dear Lord, would You help me to keep my eyes on my own heart, my own work and my own progress and not compare myself to other people. Paul tells me that I should test my own actions. Then I can be proud of my accomplishments, knowing that You've made them available to me, and not compare myself to others. I can be grateful for what You have done in and through me, but I need You to help me keep my eyes on You, and not on other people. Lord, I understand that it’s not OK to be prideful, but it is OK to actually take pride in who You’ve made me to be and in how You have allowed me to progress in my life. It's OK to know that I'm proud to follow You, but please stop me from thinking pridefully that the people in Hollywood are wrong and immoral. When I talk against Hollywood I'm being prideful and judging them instead of loving them. Let me know how to take pride in my ministry to pray for the people in Hollywood and not pridefully judge them. In Jesus name, Amen!

REFLECT: Reflect on the difference between being proud and taking personal pride in what we've accomplished or become. I believe that God wants us to be proud of our lives, knowing that He gets the glory. He wants us to celebrate what He's doing in us and through us. But when we become prideful in our own accomplishments then we are taking God out of the equation. We must try not to decide who is better or worse than we are, such as when we judge the creative decision-makers in Hollywood. We can be proud of being a follower of Jesus but not prideful that our way is right and their way is wrong. The bottom line is, we should test our own actions alone, and not compare our choices with "those immoral Hollywood celebrities," or anyone else. We don't want pride to cause us to judge or compare ourselves to others.

ACT:  Get a piece of paper and make two columns. On the top left side write PRIDEFUL OF: On the top right side write PROUD OF: Draw a line down the middle of the page and then start thinking of everything you have, everything you do, and all you've accomplished, or with whom you compare yourself. Be honest with yourself and write down details of your life on one side or the other. What do you give yourself credit for achieving or becoming and what do you give God credit for doing in your life? Don't write what you think you should write, just put down on both sides what you instinctively feel. Then look at the list and ask the Lord to show you how He feels about your list. How did you do?