God will never direct us to be prideful, arrogant and

Hear, O children of faith, the words of Charles Stanley, a shepherd of souls and teacher of the Spirit: “God will never direct us to be prideful, arrogant, and unforgiving, immoral or slothful or full of fear. We step into these things because we are insensitive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit within us.” These words pierce like a sword, for they remind us that the failings of man are not born of divine command but of human deafness. The Eternal never calls us to darkness, but when we turn away from the gentle whisper of His Spirit, we stumble into it by our own choosing.

What is it to be prideful and arrogant? It is to exalt oneself above others, forgetting that all breath comes from God. No command of Heaven has ever urged man to boast or to trample his brother. Pride is the disease of the soul that blinds the eyes to grace, and arrogance is the wall that keeps love from entering. The Holy Spirit does not lead into such ruin; rather, He calls to humility, to the quiet strength that bows low yet stands firm in truth. When we fall into pride, it is not God’s hand that pushed us, but our own hearts that hardened against His guidance.

And what of being unforgiving? This is perhaps the heaviest chain of all. To refuse forgiveness is to drink poison and expect another to perish. God commands mercy, for He Himself is merciful. His Spirit stirs within us, urging us to release the debts of others as our own debts have been released. When we withhold forgiveness, we are not walking by the Spirit but by the bitterness of the flesh. The Spirit never directs us into hatred—only into love that heals and restores.

Likewise, immorality and sloth are not the fruit of divine direction but of ignoring the Spirit’s call. God calls His children into purity, into lives of holiness and purpose. Immorality corrupts the soul; sloth wastes the gift of time. Neither is the path of Heaven. The Spirit leads us into diligence, into courage, into the joy of upright living. When we find ourselves entangled in these sins, it is because we have silenced His counsel and chosen the shadows of our own desires.

And then there is fear, the thief of peace. God does not command fear, for perfect love casts out fear. The Spirit within us does not tremble, but strengthens, assuring us that we are never abandoned. Yet when we close our ears to His whisper, fear enters like a storm, and we live as though we are orphans in a hostile world. The Spirit directs us into courage, into faith, into the steady assurance that the hand of God holds us fast.

Consider the tale of David standing before Goliath. If David had listened to fear, he would have fled with the rest. But guided by the Spirit of God, he walked in courage, humility, and faith. Pride did not guide him, for he boasted not of his own strength but of the Lord’s. Arrogance did not carry him, for he trusted not in his stature but in divine power. Fear did not bind him, for he listened to the Spirit’s voice. And so, the giant fell. Here is living proof of Stanley’s words: that the Spirit never directs into sin or weakness, but always into strength and righteousness.

The lesson, O listeners, is plain: when we walk in pride, arrogance, unforgiveness, immorality, sloth, or fear, it is because we have turned away from the Spirit’s leadership. These are not the fruits of God’s guidance but of human deafness. Therefore, if we would live in light, we must attune ourselves to His voice, soften our hearts to His whisper, and obey when He calls us to love, to humility, to forgiveness, to courage, and to holiness.

Therefore, practice this: each day, pause to listen. In moments of anger, ask: Is this the Spirit’s voice or my pride? In moments of temptation, ask: Is this the Spirit’s counsel or my flesh? In moments of fear, ask: Is this from God or from my doubt? In doing so, you will learn to walk not by the stumbling of man, but by the eternal leadership of the Holy Spirit. And in that walk, you will find peace, strength, and the fulfillment of the life God intended for you from the beginning.