THE PRIDE BEFORE THE FALL (Esther 6-7)

While God’s sovereignty is good news for those who humbly rely on Him, it is bad news for those who proudly reject Him. Why is pride dangerous? How should believers deal with pride in their lives?

1) Pride is deceptive (6:4-11)

What is pride? Think of someone whom you would consider prideful. What kind of characteristics does this person have? How does his or her pride manifest itself on a daily basis?

As Christians, we are not exempted from the influence of pride. While we may not say outright that we don’t need God or that we are against Him, we could exhibit pride in subtle ways, such as self-sufficiency. How does self-sufficiency look like? Conversely, how does living in God-dependency look like? Reflect upon your life. What are the areas you tend to be more dependent on God, and others seemingly more reliant on our own strengths and abilities? We are usually more prideful in areas we are strong or successful in. Would you agree? Why? How can we grow in our
strengths and yet be humble?

Pride can manifest in a sense of superiority towards people and complacency towards the commands of God. What are some warning signs that we may be holding such attitudes? Are some of these signs currently present in your life (for example, in the way you think about people who are weaker than you in a particular area)? Set aside some solitude time for everyone to invite the Holy Spirit to come examine our hearts. Encourage the LG to use the time to repent for specific prideful moments that God reveals to us. How can the LG support one another to live a life ‘of dependence on God i.e. intentionally seek His will in how we do our work or relate with people?

2) Pride is destructive (6:12-7:10)

Take some time to think about people or public figures you know whose pride led them to some form of destruction. What are some lessons we can draw from these stories? How has pride led to the destruction of reputations or relationships? What happened to people who had to deal with the aftermath of such destruction?

How can the LG warn or alert one another to guard against pride and its destructive effects? Commit to work on a few practical ways together as a group.

Instead of being caught in pride, how can the LG spur one another on to imitate the humility of Christ (Phil 2:3-8)? Humility is not thinking lowly of oneself but valuing oneself less than others. In other words, humility is not saying, “I’m lousier than you in everything” but “I see your needs as more important than mine. How can I serve you?” How can we build a culture of valuing others above ourselves?