About That Pride

Pride. It has always been a problem for me, but I found some additional characteristics of pride in my reading this morning that is revealing that it’s much more widespread in my life than I had originally thought. And that makes me terribly sad…but I have hope that I can acknowledge it and choose God’s way and let him change me.

I started to do more research on pride and humility and WOW, the Bible has a whole lot to say about pride. I would guess it’s probably one of God’s most hated sins! I know this may be a little like a school report, but I put together a few things that I learned.

Two definitions of Pride:

• #1 - Trusting my own judgment and resources over God’s.

Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked… Habakkuk 2:4

Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable… 1 Timothy 6:17

• #2 - After God has worked in my life, forgetting or not recognizing His work, and/or refusing to give Him the credit he is due

Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery… Deuteronomy 8:14

But when you had eaten and were satisfied, you became proud and forgot me… Hosea 13:6

…Hezekiah did not respond appropriately to the kindness shown him [by God], and he became proud… 2 Chronicles 32:25

I also noted specific places that noted God’s feelings about pride. He’s not a fan:

…and he became proud. So the Lord’s anger came against him… 2 Chronicles 32:25

You rescue the humble, but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them. 2 Samuel 22:28

Human pride will be brought down, and human arrogance will be humbled. Only the Lord will be exalted on that day of judgment. Isaiah 2:11

The Way Out

Then Hezekiah humbled himself and repented of his pride, as did the people of Jerusalem. So the Lord’s anger did not fall on them … 2 Chronicles 32:26

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Father, please remove this pride from me today. I know that anything good that comes out of me is because of You - because your Holy Spirit lives and breathes in me. As I spend today celebrating a day of memorial and gratitude, please do not let me forget that You are the good behind it all. Thank you for being my Abba and teaching me daily more about you. Amen.