Day 1: The Pride Test

From Dream to Destiny by Robert Morris

Thousands of years ago, a young man named Joseph received a dream from God. And it wasn’t long before he found himself in the middle of an unexpected test—a test that probably didn’t seem to line up at all with the dream God had given him.

That test was only the beginning of a long season of testing for Joseph. In fact, he went on to experience ten distinct character tests on the way to his destiny. And it wasn’t until he passed those tests that he was able to step into his destiny—the glorious fulfillment of God’s dream. Walking out the fullness of that dream was not only a great blessing to Joseph but also to millions of people who came after him.

We may love God and have big dreams in our hearts that He has placed there, but if we don’t have His character, we won’t get very far. That’s why, like Joseph, every one of us will encounter these same ten tests—tests that root out sin and prepare us to succeed—on the way from our dreams to our destinies.

Joseph’s first test is what I call the Pride Test, and it’s a very important one. Joseph experienced it. I experienced it. And every one of us will have to pass this test.

He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?”

‭Genesis 37:6-10

Joseph was seventeen years old when he received his dreams from God (see Genesis 37:6–7, 9). It seemed obvious from the dreams that he was destined for great power and influence. But something was standing in the way of Joseph moving toward the destiny God had shown him. The reason for this test was quite simple: Joseph had pride in his heart. And God knew Joseph’s prideful attitude would have to go if he were to successfully reach his destiny.

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

‭Proverbs 16:18

It shouldn’t surprise us that pride is often the first and most frequent test we face. After all, pride is the original sin. It’s the sin that caused Lucifer to fall (see Isaiah 14:12–13), and it was an appeal to pride that Satan used to tempt Adam and Eve to fall as well (see Genesis 3:5). Obviously, pride and falling are closely linked.

How do you humble yourself? I have found an easy method: spend time with God everyday.

It’s easy to be humble when you’ve spent time in the presence of a holy God. If you sit down to meet with God, it’s very difficult to walk away puffed up with pride! The longer you stay out of God’s presence, the more you get filled with your own presence. But when you encounter the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, you see how big, wonderful, and awesome He is, and you see yourself as you really are. You walk out of that meeting knowing exactly who you are and whose you are.

The ultimate key to your victory over pride is knowing who you are in Christ.