It's the Principle of the Thing! Right? Hmmmm.

I used to have a bad habit of saying, "It's the principle of the thing!" I justified that I was right and another person was wrong or mistreating me in a situation. Whether it was personal or professional, I would "get my back up" and become rigid on my point of view. It was my pride talking.

It makes me so sad when I come across people, let alone people I love, who are wrestling with pride, stubbornness and rebellion. They justify it and excuse it 25 ways to Sunday but are still stuck going down the same rut with no results.

I know what it is to be that way.

Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

Pride makes you stiff and inflexible... is it easier to knock over a rigid tree or a flexible one?
 
The flexible tree will just keep bending and then pop back up when you let go. A rigid tree has no bend, it will eventually break.

There's no bouncing back from that. Flexibility is the key.

What does God have to say about it? God created us and designers know how their creations function most effectively.
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God says:  The LORD detests the proud; they will surely be punished. Proverbs 16:20

Because:  Your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God. Deuteronomy 8:14

He won't put up with it:  I will break down your stubborn pride. Leviticus 26:19

God Says:  You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God... Exodus 20:4-5
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Pride is you trying to be your own god.

You want to control everything, you want to be right, you want it your way and it's all about you. Even putting yourself first is idolizing yourself. And I don't mean putting yourself first in the way that you take care of your basic daily needs, but when you won't put God first. When you blatantly put yourself (or people, money, status, reputation) before Him, that is pride.

-  When you're full of pride, you aren't surrendered to Him.
-  When you aren't surrendered to Him, you can't clearly hear Him.
-  You're too busy filtering and listening to what you WANT to hear.
-  Because you want it your way.

Pride is a brick wall between you and God.

Have a look at your thoughts and actions and examine how much pride you have in your life today.

As for my loved one who is full of pride, they want to change another person, they want their situation to go a certain direction in a certain way and they aren't willing to accept the status quo and change themselves to adapt.

For when you can't change a situation, you are the one who needs to do the changing and then things will change around you.

No matter what a circumstance looks like, God is always at work around you in all situations. Be flexible and you will be amazed at the results...

One last thing... Consider how many full card board boxes you can fit into a sport utility vehicle, now load the same vehicle with soft sided bags, soft sided luggage, sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, all things soft and pliable. Think about how much more you can move in that vehicle when it is full of flexible items.

The size of the vehicle did not change BUT by changing to a flexible packing material all of a sudden the capacity DID change!

The vehicle is now able to do much more for you than when you were packing it the first way with hard sided boxes. Think about really surrendering to God.

When you are flexible, He can do so much more through you and with you and you will see great rewards.

Jesus Christ loves you so much!

Have a GREAT day! Be Blessed!