Seven Suicidal Sins #2 ARROGANCE

Scripture references 1 Samuel 15 and 1 Samuel 31

In the last blog we looked at the Suicidal Sin of Disobedience.  The next Suicidal Sin that goes hand and hand with Disobedience is Arrogance.  In researching this I looked up the word arrogance.  Some of its synonyms are: Audacity, Nerve, and PRIDE!  God says that pride goes before destruction. (Proverbs 16:18)  Have you ever come to a point in your life and all that was happening was destruction?  Examine it closely and ask yourself, “Was I prideful before hand?”  We get prideful when we begin to think we are “all that”, when we start not to lean on God but believe we are the reason we can do what we do.  

Saul said in verse 1 Samuel 15:13“he had performed the commandment of the LORD.”    Or that he had obeyed God’s voice.  Samuel responds by saying, “What means then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen I hear?”  In today’s terms, “What then means this hemorrhaging of your finances I see, or your sporadic attendance at church, or your inconsistent giving of tithes and offerings?”  When we think we have a better way of doing things than God, we have moved from disobedience to arrogance.

When things that we use to shout about, or lay out on the floor thanking God for and now seem to bother us to no end, those are signs of arrogance.  The baby you prayed for and it finally came now you can’t stand to look at it.  The spouse you prayed and wept to have and now you won’t even talk to them.  The job you said to God, “If You give me this job I will always…….”  “LORD if You will only bless me in (an area) I will be satisfied and always give You the praise!”  Then God gave you the desires of your heart as is His promise, and now you spend more time complaining about the blessing than you do rejoicing over the God that gave you the blessing.  Do you feel that you deserve it?  That’s Arrogance slipping into your life.

Arrogance always thinks that it knows more than God, that it knows a better way to get the blessing, or that it knows what it is doing.   Arrogance is self-enthroned egotistical attitudes where you are working it out in your flesh.  Can you hear God reminding you that, “when you were little in your own sight, I blessed you?” (verse 17)  What in your life have you become arrogant about?  What in your life did you use to fall out and cry unto God for, but now you don’t even want to be bothered with?  How have things been at the job since you stopped paying your tithes?  How lacking is your prayer life and your word of deliverance to others since you slacked off reading your bible regularly?  Are we no longer thankful just to be in the service on Sunday morning one more time?  God misses the praise you use to give Him when you were truly thankful.  Arrogance makes us feel like we deserve it.  Arrogance will lead to Rebellion.