How Fear And Pride Hurt Others

You know, I was listening to a sermon over the weekend talking about Faith To Finish and I want to focus this blogpost on one of the points made (by the way, it was a great sermon overall). I turned the point that the pastor made into a series of questions and I want you all to think about my questions and the following example:

Why do we disobey God when He tells us to do something and we do something contrary? Here’s my example: someone comes to me for healing and I pray and ask God to give me a Word to speak to that someone. He gives me the Word, but I disregard the Word and go through the “healing” Scriptures, and lay hands on them and then go on my merry way (when in reality, it’s just to get them out of my face so I can go on with MY business). Now how does that look? Would you say a bit selfish? I also need to say this, there’s nothing wrong with praying a Scripture over someone and laying hands on someone who needs healing. But if I call myself a minister of the Gospel, I’m to be seeking God for a Word (or allow God to speak through me). So my final set of questions are as follows: Why do we disregard a Word that God gives us for either our lives or for someone else’s life? And as we disregard what God is trying to say to us, we parrot Scriptures that we know or deliver a word from our flesh (that’s really designed to manipulate the situation or the someone that really needs a Word from the Lord)?

I asked my co-worker this morning that very question and gave her the example I’m giving to you all, and she said this to me: “One of the reasons why we don’t do what God tells us to do is because of ‘fear and pride.’ It’s no different than the story of Jonah. God wanted Jonah to deliver a Word to Ninevah, and he went to Tarshish instead.” I said to her, “oh, you’re preaching good here.”

But that co-worker made me think after she brought up Jonah. It’s one thing to be fearful and prideful, but it’s a tragedy when we hurt others with our fear and our pride. That’s not good.

Let me use a situation that could’ve had a tragic ending. If you’ve read some of my other blogposts, you might have read this – but I want to use this and dissect it as to how fear and pride in people can actually have a tragic effect on a life that’s hurting and actually needing a healing from the pain inside (and more importantly, needing a healing that only God can give).

Back in 2012, I remember a woman posted on social media stating that she was going to take her own life. Now, I’m not condemning anyone who commented underneath her post, but it sure left the question if anyone consulted the Lord when they posted what they did. The majority of the comments were saying the following things, “get over it,” “rebuke the devil,” and some were even calling her a devil (it may not have been that specifically, but I know they called her anything but a child of God). I allowed God’s Spirit to speak to my heart and spirit because it was broken when I read that at 5:30am in the morning. God gave me specific instructions to approach this situation. He said to inbox her these words, “if you happen to get this message, give me a call and here’s my number.” About 4 hours later, she called me and all I said was this: “you have my undivided attention, talk to me.” She shared what was on her heart and all I did was listen to her heart. Just a simple ear to a hurting soul can help prevent suicide.

So, you could say this blogpost is really a #MayneMan admonishment to us believers. We have got to be so into Christ that we don’t allow fear and pride to cloud our lives and inadvertently destroy the lives of others.

Now that I’ve said all of that, let’s discuss this.

Blessings.

The Mayne Man