This post was last updated on July 28, 2026

Day 96 (Year 2)

Avoid Everything That Makes You Proud

(A bishop or overseer must be) “not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.” (1 Timothy 3:6 NKJV)

When David was king of Israel, he was lured by Satan and numbered the Israelites (1 Chronicles 21:1). In fact, not only leaders but those who have newly believed in Jesus might be tempted into pride and sin. Today’s scripture states that a novice should not serve as an overseer—that is, the leader of a local church at that time—because doing so might cause that believer to become prideful, adopt the devil’s way of doing things, and fall into its condemnation. In short, the church leadership position established by God can turn into a temptation for a novice.

For some, serving as a church leader is not difficult, and even a novice might succeed at it for a period of time. Some people are naturally gifted leaders, perceptive about human psychology, and skilled at managing relationships and various affairs. However, I have witnessed that such people not only become prideful easily but also tend to bring worldly, unbelieving ways of governance into the church. This suppresses the work of the Holy Spirit and damages the spiritual lives of many believers because they often focus on personal perception, are unfamiliar with God’s leading, and may even resort to political maneuvering, missing God’s will in many decisions.

Believers should avoid everything that causes us to become puffed up. When I was a novice, I performed quite well in a public examination. At that time, I encountered some junior students from my high school, who told me that the school teachers greatly admired my results and eagerly invited me to return to my alma mater to receive applause and share my experience with them. But I really did not know how to handle public applause and feared becoming proud at that time. As a result, I declined their invitation and was regarded as impolite, inappropriate, or even not helpful to others. I knew the danger of applause and praise, and did not want students at my previous school to pursue academic results above all else. I would rather be seen as socially immature than fall into the temptation of pride. For always emphasizing personal achievement can make people proud and may lead them into the devil’s condemnation. If a community incites us to become prideful and no solution is found, we must withdraw from it to avoid spiritual contamination.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you tend to pursue achievement or leadership positions in ways that risk making you prideful? If so, what methods can you use to overcome this?

2) Are you aware of the deterioration of your mind that warns you to avoid certain groups that might cause you to become prideful?