Proverbs 16

Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished. Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16:5, 18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Pride is a particularly dangerous sin because it can be very subtle.  Most of the time, prideful people do not know they are prideful.  However, it is something that we need to be aware of and keep under tight control, as God absolutely despises it: “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community” (Proverbs 6:16-19).  Did you notice what was the first thing on the list?  Haughtiness, or pride!  Why is it so bad in God’s eyes?  Pride pushes us away from God, turning us towards ourselves instead of towards Him: “In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God” (Proverbs 10:4).  In addition, pride is the root of so many other sins, so we must constantly be on the lookout for it, and get rid of it as soon as we notice it.  The problem is that pride is not an easy sin to overcome, mainly because it can be so difficult to see in ourselves.  But, knowing the danger of pride should make us eager to fight this sin at all costs.  “For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has a day of reckoning.  He will punish the proud and mighty and bring down everything that is exalted” (Isaiah 2:12, NLT).  Since we know how bad this is, we should all ask God to bring to our attention any prideful tendencies or feelings that we are harboring.  The following list may help you get started on your quest to identify and eradicate pride from your life.  

You may be having a problem with pride if you tend to:

-Look down on others.

-Have a hard time admitting that you are wrong.

-Feel important or prideful because of your own spirituality.  

-Boast about your good deeds.

-Frequently correct other people, but feel offended if anyone corrects you.

-Desire to be admired or noticed by others for things like: achievements, looks, personality, spiritual works, spiritual life, etc.

-Seek the approval of people rather than God, and are overly concerned about what others think.

-Compare yourself to others.

-Brag or exaggerate things about yourself or things you have done.

-Be unteachable, thinking you know it all or don’t need to learn what is being taught.

-Insist on things being done your way.

-Have a hard time asking for forgiveness.

-Criticize and easily find faults in others.

-Blame others frequently.

-Feel angry or ashamed if you are embarrassed or proven wrong.

-Feel the need to defend yourself and/or your actions.

-Have a self-sufficient spirit, where it is hard to admit that you need help.

-Insist on being right, even with trivial matters. 

-Become angry when you lose at sports or a game.

The only way to overcome pride is with humility.  In the Bible, humility or humbleness is a quality of being courteously respectful of others.  It is the opposite of aggressiveness, arrogance, boastfulness, and vanity.  Rather than having a “me first” attitude in life, humility allows you to say, “No, you first, my friend.”  Humility is the quality that lets us go more than halfway to meet the needs and demands of others.  Humility as a virtue is a major theme throughout the entire Bible.  Why do qualities such as courtesy, patience and respectful submission have such a prominent place in the Bible?  It is because a demeanor of humility is exactly what is needed to live in peace and harmony with all people.  Humility dissipates anger and heals wounds.  Humility allows us to see the dignity and worth of all God’s people.  Humility distinguishes the wise leader from the arrogant power-seeker.  Keep in mind that being humble does not in any way deny our own self worth.  Actually, it affirms the inherent worth of all people since we are all created by God in His image.  Some would consider humility to be something that ultimately interferes with “success.”  However, wealth, power or status gained at the expense of others will undoubtedly bring anxiety, guilt, pain, and strife — never peace and love. 

Ask God to help you cultivate humility and extinguish pride.  You will be glad you did!  “True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life” (Proverbs 22:4, NLT).