“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”
– Philippians 2:3-4
Pride has been the earmark of a man ever since his separation from his creator. In fact this was the downfall of Satan,
You said in your heart,”I will ascend to the heavens;I will raise my throne above the stars of God;I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon” (Is. 14:13)
We can easily pin-point a man’s natural inclination to pride by his decisions and actions, even a child displays their innate nature to be prideful.
Among all church ministries, none have been as closely associated with both pride and humility as worship ministers—pastors, worship leaders, and musicians.
We have been the crucial subject of pride ever since. Nimrod who named himself as a mighty hunter of the Lord when in fact he was in “opposition to the Lord”. The people who tried to put up the tower of Babel, it was pride that set their demise in motion. The list goes on and on. Pride may be an issue in your life today, it may have been an issue before. The truth is pride can become an issue at any point and we should always be aware and on guard.
Pride can manifest in ministry both overtly and covertly, often subtly influencing behavior, decisions, and attitudes. Understanding these manifestations is key to maintaining humility and effectiveness in serving others. Here’s how pride can appear in both forms:
Examples of these things “overtly” are:
- Seeking recognition – Publicly seeking praise, constantly reminding others of your role in a successful ministry event or project.
- Authoritarian Leadership – Insisting on having the final say; dismissing the input of others.
- Comparison and Competition – Engaging rivalry with other ministers or worship leaders, measuring success by numbers or how the people responded during singing time.
- Boasting – Frequently talking about your achievements
Covert pride is more subtle and can be masked by seemingly humble behavior. Here are examples of a “Covert” pride:
- False Humility – Downplaying your gifts excessively
- Self-Pity – Feeling slighted when not recognized.
- Judgmental Attitude – Silently or subtly looking down on others who you perceive less spiritual, less dedicated or less competent.
- Martyr Complex – Feeling indispensable to the ministry believing that things would fall apart without you.
- Perfectionism – Setting unrealistic standards for yourself and others.
The Proverbs shows us a wisdom that compels us to reflect on what the result of pride is in our daily walk, ministry, and our relationships; “Pride comes first before the fall” (Proverbs 16:18).
As worship ministers, our awareness of our own pride is what makes the difference in our work and role; surely there are moments in our attempt to please that enables us to manufacture our own glory in the act of giving it to God alone. The constant exposure to lights and sounds, the appeal of what we do on the stage plus the persona we try to portray in front of people may somehow corrupt the very thing we do. Allow pride to creep into our lives and hearts.
It is a heart issue that corrupts the mind, our actions, our speech; it is the sin that blurs our vision towards what is more important or rather who is most important in our lives. We live in a world where constant promotions of “me” and “I” rather than “others” and “them” are prevalent and it’s these things that steer us away from what matters most and who matters most in our work as worship teams.
Pride seeks to zone us out and turn us away from the truth, it stops us from serving with purity, it is the absence of humility which can only be found by constantly understanding the very nature of Jesus when He came down to earth and served. Jesus example is the epitome of how a minister should serve; He was selfless, he focuses only on glorifying His Father in heaven, humbly served the people even to the point of giving his own life, thought more of others than his own welfare, He cared for the lives of those people he touched and had fellowship with.
These are the mark of a true servant that lives only to glorify and worship God in spirit and in truth. These things should make us reflect and pause on how we should live and serve God and the people who he put under our care. In the end giving of ourselves to God and others; is the beginning of ministry.
Questions:
- In what aspect in your life you see yourself been overtaken by pride? How does Jesus’ example turn those thing around?
- As a worshiper how does pride stop you from experiencing the benefits and blessing of an authentic worship experience?
- What are the common responses you make with corrections and compliments that are masking itself as pride ?
- What are the covert and overt ways your pride seeps in your ministry and why ?
Reflection:
Ask God to reveal things in your life that are competing as a priority, and to remove them. Pray that God would give you a new beginning, a fresh revelation and a focus on Him alone. Think about His goodness and greatness. May God reveal our desires and break them so our will would be aligned to His.
Prayer:
Dear Lord,
At this moment all I desire is a heart that is pure before You, let my words and attitude and my heart be humble, take away any pride that stands in the way of giving You the worship You deserve. Let me see that humility is the right way and the right posture of worship. Let it be seen in my actions, speech, and service.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.