Pride Puts You Into Trouble

James 4:6
‘But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’

God created us as social human beings. 

Genesis 16:1-10
‘Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.” “Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”

Hagar was an Egyptian slave woman at Abraham’s house. Sarah asked Abraham to have a child with Hagar. This was not according to God’s plan. When Hagar learnt that she was pregnant, she began to despise Sarah. 
A sense of pride formed in Hagar. Sarah couldn't handle the manner in which Hagar treated her and blamed Abraham for her suffering. 
Abraham told Sarah to do what she thought was best. 

We need to understand that Sarah is at fault here. On the other hand, when God blessed Hagar, she should have been thankful and humble. But instead she grew prideful. 

As Hagar couldn’t handle the way Sarah treated her, she ran away and the angel of the Lord found her in the desert. 
Many times we are ill-treated because of our pride. 
We also need to understand that polygamy is not according to God’s will. Even though we find it in the Old Testament at many instances, it is not in accordance to God’s perfect will. That is why God made one woman for Adam. 

Sarah came up with the plan to give Hagar to Abraham. It might have been a good idea for Sarah, but we need to understand that all the good ideas that we come up with are not God’s ideas. 

God, because of his mercy and kindness, even though it was not according to His will,  blessed Hagar with generations.

Summary
Pride gets you into trouble - Hagar’s life clearly shows it. God has a perfect will and plan for us and when we try to meddle, it can have a negative result. When God blesses us we need to accept it with humility and not pride. Take a look at Hagar’s life to see what pride cost her.

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About The Author:

Dr. Damien Antony
Born and brought up in a Christian family, Dr. Damien Antony possessed an unquenching quest for truth right from his boyhood days and eventually his relentless search led him to the Bible. He is a Revival Preacher, Bible Teacher, Leadership Trainer, Author and a Life Coach. He moves under the anointing for Prophetic, Healing, Deliverance, Inner Healing and Financial Breakthrough. God has also blessed him with an Apostolic Mandate to take the Universal Body of Christ to the next level of revelation and anointing.