The Danger of Pride

The longer I live, the more convinced I am at the destructive power of pride. It creeps into lives and habits, it appears harmless, it is easily excused. But the fallout destroys not only the demonstrator, but often those around him/her.

Why do I believe it’s a problem? Because it takes so many forms. We have probably encountered someone and thought, “He’s proud” based on attitude and manner. But pride also gets into our lives in less obvious ways. We think we know more than other people, we assume we understand situations better, we soon believe we are better. Maybe it’s an attitude of control because we know how it goes and no one does it as well as we do. That desire is often rooted in pride. 

An intellectual pride is incredibly dangerous because it makes us unteachable. If we are always the smartest person in the room, no one can teach us anything. We have nothing to learn. And this mindset easily gets us into trouble in biblical matters. If we think we know everything about God, we are showing our arrogance. But I’ve seen many people who walk away from faith do so on the basis of their own intelligence, completely disregarding the One who gave them the ability to reason.

But pride isn’t just a sin that attacks the unsaved. Christians are just as vulnerable and prone to it. We might be tempted to label it as confidence, the dressed up word that makes pride acceptable. Or maybe we blame our attitude to personality. “That’s just who I am.” But the root is pride.

In Proverbs, we read that pride is the opposite of humility. This might seem obvious, but how often do we try to appear humble while we boast in our greatness? This is also pride.

When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom. (Prov. 11:2)

A man’s pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor. (Prov. 29:23)

But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)

By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom. (Prov. 13:10)

In the last verse, the “well-advised” is also translated as “those who receive counsel” or “those who take advice.” Notice that that is not an attribute given to the proud.

Another hallmark of a life lived in pride is a lack of gratitude. If we are focused on how great we are and all the things we can do, it’s difficult to look around and be thankful for the people and circumstances around us. In many ways, we might be tempted to think things are so great because WE are so great! Isn’t this what so many people call out in the wealthy? That arrogant, pompous, look at all my things attitude. And yet, even those much less rich can have this same attitude about their things. 

And finally, pride can lead to so many more sins. An unteachable attitude will drive us from godly counsel and correction. A proud spirit belittles and disregards others. Pride gives the illusion of being above the law, being able to get away with things, and talking down to others. We don’t have to imagine what pride leads to because we see examples in the lives of celebrities and politicians and, sadly, ministry leaders. People who thought so highly of their position or intellect or power that they were unfaithful in their marriages, dishonest at work, gained money fraudulently. So many of the sins we see controlling others, and ourselves, can be traced back to an attitude of pride.

God feels so strongly against pride that he says in Proverbs 15:25, “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.” That is a strong declaration that should bring us to our knees in humility! 

How can we fight against pride? The first step is to realize we are all susceptible to it. We’ve already noted that pride comes in many forms and some might be more of a struggle for us than others. But we shouldn’t develop an over confidence in our ability to not be proud. We need to ask God to help us be humble and to point out ways that we are proud.

The next step is to accept correction. When someone points out sin in our lives, we need to prayerfully bring that to God. Even if we consider it more of a personality issue, or someone taking something the wrong way, we need to be humble enough to recognize that personality or preference doesn’t excuse sin. The fastest way to fall into pride is to believe there’s nothing wrong with us and it’s everyone else who has a problem.

Finally, the key to everything in our lives is to stay in God’s Word and in prayer. We need to daily be dwelling on the truth of the Bible and daily talking to our Lord. It is through these avenues that the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin as we grow in our walk each day.
Photo by Dave Hoefler on Unsplash

I am {Not} Enough

There has been a trend in recent years to put uplifting sayings on journals, shirts, mugs, basically anything. I’m sure you’ve seen them…

Believe you can and you will

She believed she could so she did

Dream high

Keep calm and {insert anything here}

Ask me after my coffee….

While these aren’t bad, there is one that always bothers me. I usually see it in reference to women who are longing for a husband or a better job, seeking affirmation from peers, deep in discouragement, etc. But it simply is “I am Enough” or “You are Enough.”

Think about that for a minute. You are wearing a shirt {or drinking from a mug} that states you are all you need.

I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to ride the “You are enough” train but it’s discouraging! Give me one hour of trying to parent in my own strength, wisdom, patience, and you will see how this statement in practice doesn’t work. We are not enough by ourselves. We will fail again and again and hurt those around us when we live with this mantra.

In my mind there is really no way to defend this sentiment biblically. In fact, we read Paul in Philippians 3 reminding people of his credentials of “being enough” according to the Jews yet it meaning nothing for salvation. Here’s how Paul sums it up in Philippians 3:7-8a “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

Paul counted nothing that he had done as gain for Christ. The well-known passage in II Corinthians 12 tells us that Paul had something he asked God to take from him — perhaps a speech problem or a physical ailment — but God denied him. “‘But he {God} said to me {Paul}, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” {II Cor. 12:9}

Paul saw he was far from enough on his own. Salvation, wisdom, strength, discernment. We need to rely on God. We need to humbly say, “I am Not Enough!”

Part of the struggle we have with finding true rest is the belief that we have to be doing. If we are enough, then everything goes — or falls — because of us. If we stop, if we rest, if we look to someone else, we will cease being enough. And for some, that is frightening. But is should be a relief! To not carry the weight of life ourselves but to turn it over to God because we know we aren’t enough to save ourselves!

Our culture is self-seeking, self-promoting, independent. While working and knowing how to care for ourselves is not bad, we need to be careful to not become so independent we turn from God. We must acknowledge that we are not enough, for this life or the next.

Photo by Lili Popper on Unsplash

Be Kind

Does it really need to be said? Apparently it does.

It has grieved and.troubled me how rational, Bible believing people have turned to anger, suspicion, and hate toward other Christians and unsaved alike. And to compound the issue, they are taking to social media where anyone can see their hatred and rage. I recently observed an online conversation that started with, “A video I posted was removed by Facebook” and within 20 comments had escalated to name calling, threats of unfriending, and some really angry remarks that had nothing to do with the original post.

So let’s pause a moment and gain some wisdom from a rabbit.

In the animated movie, Bambi, a rabbit named Thumper makes an observation about the fawn which is true but not necessarily nice. The mother rabbit asks, “What did your father tell you this morning?” To which Thumper replies reluctantly, “If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all.” What wisdom from a bunny! My Me-Ma had another saying along these lines that she loved to pop into conversation when someone was struggling: “Pretty is as pretty does.” Meaning act pretty (kind) if you want to be pretty on the outside.

But that seems to be the farthest thing from anyone’s mind right now. Everyone cares about stating their opinion and sharing why anyone who disagrees is wrong.

So indulge me in a little refresher course on what kindness is.

1) Kindness is speaking in love. Sometimes we need to share the truth with others and oppose what they are saying BUT that is in reference to people speaking against God, glorifying sin/sinful behavior, etc. And even then, it needs to be in an attitude of love. At this point, we could stop and read all of I Corinthians 13 but let’s just focus on verse 4: “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant.” Don’t forget Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

2) Kindness is sensitive. Do you know the situation/circumstance/life story of every person you contact? We have no idea what other trials or decisions people are facing, especially if we’re only engaging with them on social media. I have been hurt by something someone posted just after a huge trial in my life. It might not have been directed at me personally but the tone and condemnation of what was written hit me at a very fragile time. I know some of you are rolling your eyes, thinking, “If I did that, I’d never post anything. I can’t think of every person’s emotional state before I say something.” It’s true, people are accountable for the way they take things and for their attitude and actions after. But that doesn’t give us the right for angry, insulting remarks. Recognize that people have reasons for choosing to wear a mask/not wear a mask/stay home/go to the park, etc. And it’s not our place to shower criticism or anger on their personal choices.

3) Kindness is humble. Have you ever been wrong? Have you ever passionately stood behind something and then changed your mind as you got older, learned more, etc? We all have and in this current age of technology and information, we receive new information constantly. And it contradicts! And it changes! And the media does have a bias and does report negative, scary news because that is what gets clicks! “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Phil. 2:3) Be careful to not shout your knowledge in an attempt to look smart, thumb your nose at others, or look more spiritual. That is not humility and that is not thinking of others. Philippians 2 is all about the humility of Christ and how we are to follow that example.

4) Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit. We are told in Galatians a list of nine things that should be evident in a Christian’s life. Kindness happens to be one of them. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Gal. 5:22-23) 

I’m just going to throw this out there for you to consider: if you read something that really burns you up and you want to belittle the author or the person who posted, go to your bathroom and talk to the wall. Or write it all out in a notebook. Do you know how many times I’ve complained or vented frustrations to myself and when it was over, I was very glad I was the only one who heard my angry words? Things spoken in anger are rarely helpful. If you need to get it out, do it alone. The internet doesn’t need more venom.

I know sometimes we post things that aren’t meant to offend; we’re sharing information or articles for people to consider. But if someone posts a comment disagreeing or angry about the article, we need to monitor our response and decide if it’s worth engaging. Every comment doesn’t need a reply. Most people who comment on social media aren’t looking for a real discussion of pros and cons and you probably won’t change their mind, even with a well-crafted response. They just want to get their two cents in. It’s okay to walk away first.

Here’s my last thought on this. On social media, we don’t know who will read what we say. Please be considerate and remember, everyone is struggling to make their own decisions based on what is best for their families and within their states guidelines. Don’t think people are just following the crowds and haven’t given thought to their choices.

Let’s cover ourselves and each other in prayer. Think about your responses before responding. Remember, you’ll be worshiping, going to family picnics, interacting with these people who have witnessed and observed you online. Guard your heart. Trust God. Be humble.

Just be kind.

Photo by Dayne Topkin on Unsplash