Pitfalls of Pride

Chuckle: "Pride is like a beard. It just keeps growing. The solution? Shave it every day!"

Ponder This: "If he could see how small a vacancy his death would leave, the proud man would think less of the place he occupies." --Ernest LeGouve

"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit among the oppressed than to share the plunder with the proud" (Proverbs 16:18-19 NIV). "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom" (Proverbs 11:2 NIV).

Pride is the antithesis of humility. Bible teacher and pastor, M. R. De Haan, said this about humility: "Humility is something we should constantly pray for, yet never thank God that we have." Pride is at the root of all sins and is a terrible enemy of the Christian. Ironically, proud people seldom realize that pride is their problem, although everyone around them is well aware of it. The Bible says that God hates pride. That's why, when it pops up in our lives, God allows and brings things into our lives to humble us, and make us more dependent upon Him.

Pride lays at the root of Adam and Eve's downfall and our own. C.S. Lewis said, "It was through pride that the devil became the devil." Pride has become entrenched in our human nature; we think we can make it through life on our own power. Yet everything we have comes from God. Ask yourself the question Paul asked the Corinthian Christians: What do you have that you did not receive? God is the source of everything. Thus, none of us has reason to be proud.

So how can we overcome pride and replace it with humility? We begin by putting ourselves into proper perspective, seeing ourselves as God sees us in relationship to him. When we look to God, we grasp our unworthiness. Yet humility doesn't come from putting ourselves down. It comes from acknowledging and glorifying God, seeing Him as the source of all we are and all we have. In His love, God accepts us unconditionally and lifts us to higher ground. He shows us that we are His children, made in His image, adopted into His family as sons and daughters!

Another antidote to pride is gratitude. Whenever we accomplish anything in life, we can choose to be proud or grateful. As we realize that we accomplish nothing without God, we must choose gratitude, giving the glory to Him for all He does for us.

We can't have prideful hearts and maintain a right relationship with God. God doesn't need our accomplishments, nor is He interested in our vainglory. He wants us! Christ wants us to cultivate humble hearts that bow before His grace and His cross - the ultimate example of humility. Someone once said, "Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself one way or the other at all." Today, reflect on yourself in relationship with God and thank Him for all He has accomplished in your life. Bring your achievements to Him in gratitude and lay them at His feet, while blessing Him for His goodness to you.

"He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8 NIV).

Love, Jerry & Dotse