Pride

 

 

 

photo by Timo Wagner

 

Pride

 

 

Many of us have always been warned about being prideful or getting caught up in self. Sure, we should have self-confidence, but it is not all about us. If the truth is revealed, we have to work at it every day to prevent pride from rising up in us. The Bible warns us not to have a proud look. We have to be really careful not to attribute our successes or accomplishments as if we done it alone. It is by God’s grace and others that He has allowed to be in our life to come as far as we have.

According to Holman’s Bible dictionary, pride is “undue confidence in and attention to one's own skills, accomplishments, state, possessions, or position. Pride is easier to recognize than to define, easier to recognize in others than in oneself.” 

Have you ever seen someone that has an air about themselves; ‘look at me, look what I’ve done." You can’t really put your finger on it, but they have a spirit of  arrogance, boastfulness and haughtiness. This is the definition of pride. God gives distinct instructions to resist pride at all cost. He abhors the very thought of pride.

“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.” Proverbs 8:13.

Pride was the reason there was a hostile takeover attempt by Lucifer and a 1/3^rd of the angels in heaven. He was cast out of heaven and fell like lightning and his coconspirators was cast out into outer darkness along with him.

Adam and Eve were disbarred from living in an eutopia in the Garden of Eden. They participated in untoward behavior of the pride of life, lust of the flesh, lust of the eye as identified in 1 John 2:16. We should take note that we can’t have everything we want or see. It may not be in God’s plan for us to have it. We should seek Him for what He desires for us to possess. He will provide everything we need.

Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Psalm 16:18

There is an old adage to ‘swallow your pride.’ This gives us an opportunity to right a wrong that we have caused. When we know we have done or said something wrong, hurt someone or caused them to fail we should admit it and make it right. It’s not easy to admit that we made a mistake, missed the mark or made the wrong decision. We have to be the bigger person and admit that we didn’t do it exactly right, but given the same situation again we would do it differently. This allows us to get over our past failures and move on.

Yes, we should be excited when we have achieved a great fete, accomplished something that seemed impossible, done a good job or carried out a good deed. Pride and being proud are different, because pride causes us to boast. Being proud carries a different connotation. Being proud is a great way to encourage and to be happy for someone else.

Pride is not an exhaustive subject. I encourage you to make sure to always give honor to God first and homage to others who have helped pave the way for where you are today.