Proverbs 6:16-18 

16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

This series on the seven things the Lord hates is not meant to be a message of condemnation but of grace.  For the Christian, this is a love story.  If a man is in love, he doesn’t buy his girl friend a mink coat if she hates the killing of animals to be used in clothing.  If he is smart, he doesn’t even buy fake fur! 

                    When we know what the Lord hates, love demands that we avoid needlessly offending our Lord.

                    What I want to focus on in this series is breaking the habit, breaking the sin.  If any of us struggle with “haughty eyes” how do we make the necessary changes?

                    So we start with the first body part mentioned, the eyes.   Eyes convey so much information.  If a person smiles with their mouth, but not with their eyes, others can notice the subtle difference.  So also with pride.  Pride often shows itself through the eye gate.

                    Haughty eyes are eyes that are lifted up.  That is the Hebrew meaning of this word, haughty.   Eyes that are lifted up are looking down on others.

                    What’s wrong with looking down on others?  You have great intelligence, you have wonderful ability, you have tremendous expertise.  What is the problem with “haughty eyes”?  Let’s face it.  There are people in this world who are not as smart or as talented as you are.  They have little or no experience in areas in which you have a lot.  They ought to appreciate your abilities.    And, because these things are so easy for you, they ought to be easy for everybody.  What’s wrong with being proud of all that we are?

                    Let me share with you some problems God might have with you.

                    First, everything you have, God has much more of.  God is more intelligent, more abilities, more experience than anyone else in this world. 

                    Second, everything you have comes from him.  He gave you ability.  He gave you intelligence.  He gave you the opportunities to have the experiences you have had.   Do you really believe the implication of evolution that the fittest survive?  Do you really believe that you are where you are because of your own inner abilities that make you more fit than others? 

                    No,  God has given you everything you have.  And he can take it away. 

                    Third, everything you have was given to be used for God’s purposes and to help others.  When you take credit for what you have and lift your eyes in pride and distance yourselves from those who do not have what you have, you are ruining the beauty of the gifts God gave you.

                    It’s like a doctor.  You hear of one doctor who is in medicine for money.  He helps patients and works hard.  But then we hear of a doctor who is giving freely to help missionaries or to visit third world countries and dong medicine for free.  Those are the people whose use of their gifts shine brightly.

                    How do we break arrogance and pride in our lives?  This is a diffricult task.  Some theologians believe that pride is the core sin from which all others spring.  They point to Satan and his attempt to exhalt himself above God.  Or Eve’s desire to be like God.  Pride runs deep in our lives.  Arrogance is a real issue for all of us at certain times.

                    A husband or wife may believe they know how to raise children better than the other, or may know better how to do finances, or how to relate to other people in social events.  And they may be right.  But the issue of attitude becomes important here.  They put down the other person to make their point.  They lift the eyes.  And when they do, God hates it.

                    Recognizing the problem is the first step.  Seeing our own arrogance is crucial.  Until we see it in ourselves, we will never make any changes.

                    I have good news for you.  Helping us to see our problems is what God is doing in us. “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” Philippians 2:12, 13, NIV.

                    What does it mean that God works in us “to will...”?  I paraphrase it this way, “God is working in you the desire and the ability to do his will.”  He wants you to be willing.  He is working on your will.  And when you say, “yes Lord, I want to change...” he starts working on your ability to make the change. 

                    If you are under conviction in this message, it is not me.  The Holy Spirit is hammering on your heart to give you the will, the desire, the “want to” to do his will.  Surrender and he will work on the ability, the doing part.

                    After we recognize our need for change, I think it is helpful to learn from Job.  In Job’s suffering he kept asking the “why” question, demanding that God give him an answer.  God comes back and says, Job, we are going to break this pridefullness in you.  How did God do it?

                    “Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone-- while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? “Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb,” Job 38:1-8, NIV.

                    The key here is that God broke Job’s pride by having him focus on God’s greatness.  If you deal with pride, start meditating on the power of God.  You are smart?  Go into your garden and meditate on how fragile it is when plants depend on insects to carry pollen from one plant to another.  Could you program that?  Could you effect that kind of precision? 

                    “The LORD is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalms 34:18, NIV. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalms 51:17, NIV.

                    What we need in our lives is a breaking.  Let me talk about breaking for a moment.  This statement I am about to make is an obvious truth.  Things break because they are weak.  When we face tremendous difficulties in our own strength, we break.  But when we face them with God, he never breaks.  Our spirit might break, our heart might break, but when we come to God in that humble position, 

                    Paul heard this message from God. “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV.

                    So we learn here a third part of this issue of dealing with pride.  First, we acknowledge our problem, second, we focus on God’ greatness and third, be boast about our weaknesses. When we are broken, they are evident.  When we have not been broken, we meditate on how God works in and through and in spite of our weaknesses.  Proud people focus on how wonderful they are.  Humble people focus on how wonderful God is to them. 

                    We need to get serious about God.  What a wonderful Savior who died on the cross and rose again for us.  For us!  We love him because he first loved us. 

                    Today the Holy Spirit is trying to use a gentle way to help us break the pride issue in our lives.  Tomorrow he may use a more difficult way.  If we love God, don’t do the things he hates.  Show our love by walking in a manner worthy of the calling to which we are called.  Glorify him in our body and in our spirit.