Pride

“Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate.” Proverbs 8:13

Pride. One of those insidious sins that manages to creep its way into my heart on a regular basis. I’ve struggled with it more often as of late because of the marketing I’m required to do on behalf of my book. Selling your speaking and writing ability to the world involves lots of self-endorsement. Sometimes I even manage to convince myself. Then here we go again as pride curls its evil tentacles around my heart once more.

God hates pride. From what I can see, there are two reasons for this.

First, pride knocks God off the throne in my life and places me there instead. God wants and deserves to be at the center of my existence, the reason for my being. Thinking highly of my capabilities, wisdom, and accomplishments makes it all about me. Not much room for God on that seat.

Second, happily marching down the road of pride is a journey toward ruin. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18) When we base our strength on our own self-sufficiency, we are setting ourselves up to fail. “Apart from me, you can do nothing,” Christ warned his disciples.

As I recently studied the four kings of Isaiah’s time, one bold truth jumped off the pages at me: the sin of kings always seems to start with pride. In fact, come to think of it, pride seems to be at the root of most sin.

So what is the remedy? I believe the antidote to pride is thanksgiving. I found this to be true for me the other day as I cruised down Route 50. I had begun to pray for my son Daniel’s little family. As I thought through their needs, God reminded me of all of the needs he had already met in recent months. Bringing little Joseph out of crisis. Providing a larger home. Giving Daniel a big promotion at work. Keeping their marriage strong through substantial stressors. My heart began to overflow with gratitude. God had been so faithful, so generous.

As I moved on to pray about the speaking engagements scheduled in the near future, that attitude of gratitude had me in exactly the right frame of mind. I thanked God for His involvement and for the words and truths He had given me to proclaim. I acknowledged my total dependence on Him and on His ability to teach and convict hearts. I was filled with peace that he would accomplish what he purposed to do. My heart overflowed. Pride wasn’t even on the radar screen.

It’s never too late to turn back from the path of pride. King Manasseh did. He was one evil guy, leading God’s people into the worst of idolatry practices, including witchcraft and sorcery. In judgment for their faithlessness, God sent the Assyrian army in to conquer Manasseh’s land, and Manasseh was led away in chains to Babylon. This ultimate humiliation finally got through to Manasseh. He humbled himself and cried out to God for rescue. God heard his plea and brought him back. 2 Chronicles 33 tells us “Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.”

Once we acknowledge pride and confess it, God will come in and restore us. An attitude of thanksgiving can get us to that place.

Is pride an issue for you? Can you see its roots in the sin you commit?