August 2006

Yesterday, I wrote about the start of Andrew Murray’s book Humility and the tremendous blessing that humility brings. Murray states that humility is “being clothed with the very beauty and blessedness of Jesus.” Having offered this enticement, he moves in the second chapter to graphically describe the fruit of pride.

As Murray sees it, we will either walk in pride because we are bearing the fruit of sin, or we will walk in humility because we are bearing the fruit of Jesus Christ living in us. Adam and Eve walked in humility–total dependence on God–until they believed the lie of Satan and allowed pride in. Murray writes that the life that came from Adam and Eve

became corrupted to its very root with that most terrible of all sins and curses–Satan’s pride. All the wretchedness of which this world has been the scene, all its wars and bloodshed among the nations, all its selfishness and suffering, all its vain ambition and jealousy, all its broken hearts and embittered lives, with all its daily unhappiness, have their origin in what this cursed pride–our own or that of others–has brought on us.

He goes on to say,

No tree can grow except on the root from which it sprang. The pride that Satan brought from hell and whispered into the life of humankind is working daily, hourly, and with mighty power throughout the world. Men and women suffer from it; they fear and fight and flee it; and yet they don’t always know where it has come from or how it has gained such terrible supremacy. No wonder they don’t know how to overcome it. Pride has its root and strength in spiritual power, outside of us as well as within us… it is satanic in origin.

Lest we focus on wars and suffering and so think pride can’t be at work in us (“It’s all other people!”), Murray brings it down to the everyday, to where we live:

Let us consider how our lack of love, indifference to the needs and feelings of others, even sharp comments and hasty judgments that are often excused as being honest and straightforward, are thwarting the effect of the influence of the Holy Spirit on others. Manifestations of temper and touchiness and irritation, feelings of bitterness and estrangement, have their root in nothing but pride.

Ouch! At least one of those describes me–actually, the whole list does at one time or other, and on same days, I might be able to check off all of them! I appreciate that Murray doesn’t allow any wiggle room or excuses.

Over the past few years, the Holy Spirit has been teaching me that I am always responsible for my behavior, whether action or reaction. Most of us don’t have a problem with the first premise, but we balk at the second. If you are unkind to me, and I am ugly back, I like to blame my reaction on you and your behavior: “If you hadn’t said X, I wouldn’t have shouted Y.”

That is, to be blunt, a lie from the pit of hell.

I always have control over my actions; I always have a choice. Let me say that again, and you can repeat it with me: I always have control over my actions. I always have a choice. Consider Jesus: Peter tells us that Jesus refused to answer back to those who insulted and threatened. How did He manage this? He “continued entrusting Himself to God, who judges justly.” As I understand it, continually entrusting ourselves to God is the essence of humility.

Though it’s not enjoyable, it is good to be reminded of the power of sin and the fruit that it produces. It’s good to allow the Holy Spirit to confront the darkness in our lives. My prayer for you and for me is that we will invite Him to search out the pride that lurks within us; only when it’s exposed can we deal with it.

Tagged as: Andrew Murray, humility, Jesus, pride, Satan