By Elisha Wahlquist - June 2009
Pride. We humans are outwardly proud of it, ashamed of it, or, sometimes, indifferent to it. But almost every person has, sometime in their life, and for varying lengths of time, fallen prey to it. Our world views it sort of half-comically-we hate it in others, but don't seem to notice or mind it in ourselves. In fact, many psychologists encourage us to have a "positive self-image," which, if taken too far, sounds just like this definition of pride from Wikipedia:
"…a high sense of the worth of one's self or one's own or a pleasure taken in the contemplation of these things. One definition of pride in the first sense comes from Augustine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine"the love of one's own excellence.""
But what does the Bible say about pride?
"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." (Pr. 16:18)
"A man's pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit." (Pr. 29:23)
Jesus said, "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man." (Mark 7:21-23) Pride is listed along with all those other horrible sins.
"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." (1 John 2:16)
As created, sinful beings, it is really quite ridiculous for us to be proud. For what goodness do we have that we were able to give to ourselves?
"Naturally weak and corrupt are the best of mortals, prone to fall, and liable to sin, yet I [Pride] succeed in persuading many that the gold which is entrusted to their keeping imparts some intrinsic merit to the clay vessel which contains it." Pride and His Prisoners, by A.L.O.E.
Upon doing a search for the word "pride" in the Bible, and over and over again I found God punishing nations and people for their pride. Why? Pride is lifting up ourselves, and (perhaps unconsciously) feeling that we did something important, that we are good, or great, or beautiful, or talented without God. It is, in fact, spurning Him. It is taking the glory which belongs to God and giving it to ourselves.
Pride, thus, blinds and deceives us as to our real state. When we harbor pride, we are bound with intellectual, far-reaching cords of bondage.
"The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?" (Ob. 1:3)
I chose this topic for this month's article not because I have conquered pride in my own life, but because I see the need to remind myself and others how deadly and damaging pride is in our lives. We must fight it-with God's help!
What is the solution? We need to grasp the proper view of ourselves, God, and others, and engraft it into our hearts and minds. We need to "each esteem other better than themselves" (Php. 2:3), to realize the greatness and mercy of God and our own sinful filthiness.
In Ezekiel 16, God gave the Israelites an allegory of what He had done for them-taken them when they were a helpless, filthy baby left in its own blood to die, and had clothed them with glory and beauty and comeliness. We need to remember that that is our allegory, too-and that our beauty, goodness, or talents are undeserved gifts given to us so we can use them as His hands and feet.
"Remember, every talent is a trust,
A treasure God doth to thy care confide,
A cause for gratitude, and none for pride!"
-A.L.O.E.
I think C.S. Lewis described a humble person very well-not someone who was continually thinking poorly of himself and making self-deprecating comments, but someone who was so focused on others and God that they didn't think of himself at all.
There are so many blessings that come when we humble ourselves and turn from our pride, and I want to include just a few verses here, in closing:
"Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah." (2 Chr. 32:26)
"If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chr. 7:14)
"And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." (Matt. 23:12)
"Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 18:4)
Great things will happen in our lives, our families, and our nation as we humble ourselves and seek God's face. Let's begin now!
