TO BE PROUD OR TO BE THANKFUL: Which Way? (Part 1)

Matthew 7:13-14,

¹³Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it. ¹⁴But the gate is narrow (contracted by pressure) and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it.

When God say a thing it is either you believe Him and reap the fruit that follows His word or you disobey Him and damn the consequences. So when He said this month is a month of thanksgiving, it is either we obey Him and reap the reward thereafter or we dismiss it by saying there is nothing to be thankful. Beloved there is a lot to be thankful. In this particular post, which I am going to take as a series, we are going to look at why we as believers should be thankful always and indeed every day. We are going to search through the scripture and try as much as we can to put side by side, what it is to be proud and to be thankful. Then you will know which way you are walking upon.

The scripture says in Matthew 7:13-14 that there are 2 ways and 2 choices in life; one is narrow (righteous) and the other is broad (sinful). The narrow (righteous) way is contracted and compressed but it leads to life. Few are going into heaven through it, while the broad (sinful) way is wide and spacious but it leads to destruction. Many are entering hell through it. Every living soul has a choice to make, to choose which of these 2 ways to follow: the way of the thankful or the proud.

Features of thanksgiving

Psalm 92:1-2 (Amplified Bible) [A song for the Sabbath day].

¹IT IS a good and delightful thing to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises [with musical accompaniment] to Your name, O Most High,²To show forth Your loving-kindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night.

Psalm 147:1 (New Life Version) [Praise for God’s Goodness]

¹ Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God. For it is pleasing and praise is right.

As I pointed out in the message of the month, thanksgiving is evidenced in action and words. It includes praising God, singing onto Him, adoring Him, loving Him, revering Him, glorifying Him, paying tithes, giving alms, giving to men of God, supporting the propagation of the gospel, giving testimonies, etc.

Features of pride

Proverbs 21:4 (New King James Version)

⁴A haughty look, a proud heart, And the plowing of the wicked are sin.

Proverbs 16:5 (New International Version)

⁵The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

Pride is embedded in what the bible called the little foxes or little, little sins. Most times you don’t take cognizance of them as bad. Many of these little foxes are ingrained in our life or internalised in our system. Things like, looking down on others, avoiding people like the plague, hurting other people’s spirit and treating their feelings with levity are pride.

Treating others as slaves and subjugating them, and many other inhuman treatments to your fellow human-kind are all examples of pride. Most times we try to rationalise these actions and find a way to justify them but the bible say they are pride and sin. Appropriating glory and honour that belongs to God to you, especially in area of achievement, is pride.

Let us look further about what the bible is saying about these 2 extreme ways of life.

Psalm 31:23(New King James Version)

²³ Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person. God preserves the faithful who are His saints and the thankful but He fully repays the proud person.

Psalm 50:23 (New King James Version)

²³ Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.”

When you offer thanks and praises you are glorifying God and He will show you His salvation. He delivers you from your enemies and saves you from every trouble that comes your way. God shows mercy to the thankful.

Proverbs 16:18 (New King James Version)

¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.

God will destroy the proud and the self-conceited, snooty and haughty spirit will fall. The arrogant man isn’t going anywhere in life. He will cut off all flattering lips and the mouth that speaks proud things.

Psalm 12:3 (New King James Version)

³ May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,And the tongue that speaks proud things.

Proverbs 15:25 (New King James Version)

²⁵ The LORD will destroy the house of the proud; but He will establish the boundary of the widow.

Proverbs 12:7(New King James Version)

⁷ The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will stand.

The house of the proud shall be destroyed but the house of the righteous and the thankful shall stand. The proud and the thankful are poles and miles apart in the eyes of God. One is a sinner, one is righteous. One is proud, one is thankful. To God, they are 2 parallel lines that never meet.

Thanking God is pleasing Him and doing His will. In, 1 Thessalonians 5:18(New King James Version), it says;

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

The scripture counsels all believers to thank God always.

Pray for All Men

1 Timothy 2:1,3 (New King James Version)

¹ Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, ³ For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

This scripture encourages all believers to pray and give thanks because this is good and acceptable in the sight of God. Prayers, intercession and living a life of thankfulness are woven together.

Beloved you should be thanking God in a ceaseless manner. Glorifying His Holy Name every moment of your life in what you say and do. Show gratitude to Him for His mercy, for His kindness and for His patience. You should not forget His benefits, His goodness and His wonderful works in your life and in your loved ones.

Psalm 40:10-11 (New King James Version)

¹⁰ I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly. ¹¹ Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O LORD; let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.

This is act of thankfulness. If you have not taken God’s glory for yourself and have witnessed to people about His faithfulness and salvation; and have testified to people about His love and truthfulness, then you will stand right before His throne of grace and shout to Him and say, ‘Oh LORD do not withhold your mercies and kindness from me’. And when you cry to Him like this He will respond to you in might and power. This is because you are thankful.

But choosing to be proud is choosing to be an abomination to the Lord and incurring the wrath and anger of the God. It is taking the risk of being condemned. It is treading on the path of destruction and walking on the road to eternal hell fire.