Jeremiah 9:23, “This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches.”
Pride
Pride is a high or inordinate opinion of one’s dignity, importance, merit, or superiority; Pride is the root of most sin. Pride is the catalyst that starts the reaction. Pride is the insidious emotion that lurks behind most arguments and hurt feelings. Pride deprives us of knowledge, wisdom, friendship, and self-respect.
Proverbs 13:10, “Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”
In his book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis said: “According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind… it is Pride which has been the chief cause of misery in every nation and every family since the world began.”
James 1:14–15, “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death.”
All of us have heard Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” When we unleash our inner desires unchecked, we know that bad things happen. We say things and do things that we regret even when we are right. We look back and feel a sense of humiliation at our actions. We know we could have handled it better. We know we lost some of the positive impacts of our defense because of our presentation. Yet, we’re considered arrogant and overbearing instead of being thought of as right.
We live in a competitive world where our image is important. “Perception is reality” is almost the tagline of most lives. The idea of faking it until you make it is supposed to motivate us to stretch our abilities. We are constantly marketing ourselves to others around us.
We want to walk the fine line between seeing ourselves as made in the image of God, yet a descendant of the Garden of Eden. We do not wish to diminish who God created, but we understand we are flawed. So we oscillate between Pride in who God made us be and humility in who we are. And then there is everyone else; who are they compared to me?
Humility
The Christian attribute that counters pride is humility. Humility is not weakness. Humility does hot require us to acquis our position or take a subordinate role. Humility does not allow for hypocrisy. It is not about right and wrong; it is about presentation. The message is the message; it is how you present the message that is important.
Psalm 10:4, “In his pride, the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.”
Humility is about bringing God back into the conversation. Our foundation is still the scriptures, and our objective is still to attract people to Christ. Worldly issues will come and go; God’s continence will always prevail.
Jeremiah 50:31, “Behold, I am against you, O arrogant one,” declares the Lord God of hosts, “For your day has come, the time when I will punish you.”
When we engage Christ in our conversations, we become empowered by His compassion and grace. As a result, we will be held in esteem by the creator of the universe.
James 4:10, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
Empowerment
How do we empower ourselves through humility? First, we need to have confidence that Christ will not allow us to suffer needlessly. There has to be an inner strength to present ourselves in a Godly way, and God will honor that behavior. Do not let your Pride control your reaction. Look up and not out when engaging in conversation, especially when passion is involved.
Proverbs 27:2, “Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.”
Christ should direct all of your conversations. The Gospel is the foundation of all truth. Any time your actions deviate from Gospel teaching, you have shut God out. The way to overcome Pride is to bring Christ back into your conversations.
Jeremiah 9:24, “But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!.”