I came across these 12 painfully poignant steps to overcoming pride in my Matthew commentary the other day. They are from John Fischer's 12 Steps for the Recovering Pharisee (Like Me) Minneapolis: Bethany, 2000. The following is not a direct quote. I have edited and changed the order of some of the steps.
In order to overcome pride . . .
1) We admit that our single most unmitigated pleasure is to judge other people.
2) We see that we have come to believe that our means of obtaining greatness is to make everyone lower than ourselves in our own mind.
3. We realize that we detest mercy being given to those who, unlike us, don't deserve it and haven't worked for it.
4) We are ready to have God remove all these defects of attitude and character.
5) We don't want to get what we deserve after all, and we don't want anyone else to either.
6) We will cease all attempts to apply teaching and rebuke to anyone but ourselves.
7) We embrace the belief that we are, and will always be, experts at sinning.
8) We are looking closely at the lives of famous men and women of the Bible who turned out to be ordinary sinners like us.
9) We are seeking through prayer and meditation to make a conscious effort to consider others better than ourselves.
10) We embrace the state of astonishment as a permanent and glorious reality. ( I think you have to read the book to understand this step.)
11) We choose to rid ourselves of any attitude that is not bathed in gratitude.
12) Now having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we will try to carry this message to others who think that Christians are better than everyone else.
In order to overcome pride . . .
1) We admit that our single most unmitigated pleasure is to judge other people.
2) We see that we have come to believe that our means of obtaining greatness is to make everyone lower than ourselves in our own mind.
3. We realize that we detest mercy being given to those who, unlike us, don't deserve it and haven't worked for it.
4) We are ready to have God remove all these defects of attitude and character.
5) We don't want to get what we deserve after all, and we don't want anyone else to either.
6) We will cease all attempts to apply teaching and rebuke to anyone but ourselves.
7) We embrace the belief that we are, and will always be, experts at sinning.
8) We are looking closely at the lives of famous men and women of the Bible who turned out to be ordinary sinners like us.
9) We are seeking through prayer and meditation to make a conscious effort to consider others better than ourselves.
10) We embrace the state of astonishment as a permanent and glorious reality. ( I think you have to read the book to understand this step.)
11) We choose to rid ourselves of any attitude that is not bathed in gratitude.
12) Now having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we will try to carry this message to others who think that Christians are better than everyone else.
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