Pride Comes Before The Fall

Proverbs 8:33
"Listen to My instruction and be wise; do not disregard it"
Sometimes we may not like to listen to what the Lord is telling us. Our pride gets in the way. Proverbs 11:2 says, "When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom." We cannot obtain wisdom and be wise if we dont follow the Lord's instruction. Because of this pride, it is not easy for us to admit that we are wrong. In return, we quench the Holy Spirit and if we continue in that direction we will wind up on a dark and dangerous road. He doesn't correct us because He wants to control us, He does it because He loves us. Its just like our own parents and guardians did growing up. They disciplined and scolded us because they love us and didn't want to see us going down the wrong path and get hurt. There are so many instances I can think of where my parents have warned me about situations and told me not to do them, yet I was stubborn and prideful and decided I was going to them anyway. Now I have scars because of the hurt and pain I endured for not listening. Humble yourself, admit that you are wrong, ask for forgiveness and its amazing the amount of joy and peace that comes from doing so.
Another aspect to this is being able to discern between Heavenly Wisdom and Earthly Wisdom. In my favorite book of the Bible, James, it is clearly spelled out how to distinguish what is Heavenly wisdom and what is of the flesh and the enemy. James 3:14-17 says, "But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy." It all leads back to pride. So many downfalls come from being prideful and it hinders our relationship with the Lord and also our relationships with others.
Application :
I still battle with being prideful at times. I have decided to take a step back and examine my attitude towards situations and approach things differently. Starting today, I will try to have this approach to every situation I encounter, and I will also begin to pray that the Lord helps me become more humble.