Pride

Ok yall, So you know, I've been reading the books and watching the
Star Wars movies. I've been keeping a few entries in a notebook about
what I've learned so far. I'll have to transfer it to this journal.

I've read so far The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and have
seen both movies. Because I don't want to see Anakin Skywalker turn
into Darth Vader, I'm reading a Clone Wars Novel before I read Revenge
of the Sith. However, since I've seen movies 4-6, I know his change is
inevitable.

As I looked a little further into Darth Vader, I saw that his name
means Dark Father. Here's what rocked me to the core last night as I
read the Wikipedia about him. "Skywalker is ultimately seduced by his
own hubris and fear of loss, as well as by the machinations of the
Sith Lord Darth Sidious."

That sounded so deep, that I had to look up a few words. Here are
their definitions:
Hubris--Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance.
Machination--the act of plotting. A crafty scheme or cunning design
for the accomplishment of a sinister end.

Basically, Anakin's pride brought him low. As I thought about this all
last night, I could hardly sleep. Pride. What a dangerous thing to a
Christian... to any person, believer or nonbeliever in Jesus Christ.

I copied these from
www.believers.org:
4. Dangers that pride has:

4.1. The newer believer can easily become proud (1 Tim
3.6, "conceited" tuphoomai, BAG 831, is in the passive. It means
to be puffed
up, conceited, blinded, be foolish). He makes the mistake of
taking credit for spiritual growth and ministry. He forgets that he
is a product
of God's grace (1 Cor 15.10).
4.2. Proud believers reject God's authority in the church
(1 Cor 4.6, 18 "become arrogant" phusiow,
BAG 869, to be puffed up, inflated).
4.3. Proud people can disrupt the life of the church (1 Cor 4.6-7,
"become arrogant" phusiow; Jude
16;, "speak arrogantly" `uperogkos, BAG 841, of excessive size,
puffed up, swollen, haughty, bombastic).
4.4. When you take yourself
too seriously you are proud (Rom 12.3 "to think more highly"
`uperphronew, BAG 842). 1 Cor 15.10 gives the right attitude.
4.5. Proud
religious people will attempt to change you away from grace (Col 2.18
"inflated" phusiow).
4.6. Knowledge (gnwsis) that is not understood,
accepted as certain, and applied can stimulate pride (1 Cor 8.1).
Knowledge (epignwsis) that is understood, accepted as certain, and
applied is
needed for the Christian life (Eph 1.17; Phil 1.9; Col 1.9-10).
4.7. Pride can affect what you say (Jms 4.16). The result is a sin of
the tongue which can cause great damage to self and others (Jms
3.2-6). 4.8. Pride will eventually come back and hurt you
(Prov 11.2; 16.18;
29.23).

"Lord Jesus," I prayed as I tossed and turned all night, "I don't want
to be proud. It's the very spirit of Satan himself. I humble myself
before you." Pride will not allow you to see the truth about God,
yourself, or others. It's a dangerous thing to have in your life. It
lets you go up so far, deceiving yourself all the way, and at the
moment you least expect, it pulls the rug right from under you.

Prov 29:23 "A man's pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold
the humble in spirit."
Prov 16:18 "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit
before a fall."
1 Peter 5:6 "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God,
that He may exalt you in due time:

In closing, my prayer has been Psalm 51:10: "Create in me a clean
heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."