by Donna Steward, Guest Author
Have you ever considered that one of the most challenging problems to recognize and resolve is pride? In his wisdom, Paul foresaw that pride would be a characteristic of the last days before Christ’s return (2 Timothy 3:2).
But what is pride? It’s not just a word; it’s a mindset. It’s the focus on self and a belief that one is above others or an exalted view of oneself. Pride, my friends, affects many different areas of life, including speech (1 Samuel 2:3, Psalm 12:3), attitudes, decisions, priorities, choices, and relationships with others.
Pride takes root when we mistakenly believe we are self-sufficient. It’s like a weed that flourishes when we approach God with audacity instead of the reverence He deserves. It thrives in times of abundance if we feel no need to rely on God or others (Deut. 8:11-20), and it infiltrates our hearts when we prioritize worldly things over God (Mark 7:21). We must constantly remind ourselves of the perils of pride and the vital roles of humility and dependence on God.
Pride develops when we focus on what we think we know and ignore God’s knowledge (I Cor. 8:1). Saul, who later became the apostle Paul and wrote most of the New Testament, persecuted the early church. Before Saul encountered Jesus, he displayed arrogance and persecuted Jewish Christians. He mistakenly believed he had the authority to cause harm to them. Pride is the sin that God most detests (Prov. 8:13). It is an abomination to Him (Prov. 16:5). He will humble the proud person (Psalm 18:27).
The way to resolve the problem of pride involves conscious choices. Here are a few actions we are to take, based on God’s Word.
- View ourselves with a proper perspective (Rom. 12:3, 12:16).
- “. . . consider one another as more important than yourselves” (Phil. 2:3 New American Standard Bible).
- Reject and renounce every thought that exalts itself and forgets God (2 Cor. 10:5).
- Strive to develop a humble attitude, recognizing that “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (Jas. 4:6 Christian Standard Bible).
- Refrain from being proud of our wisdom (what we know), our might (what we can do) or our riches (what we have), but to be proud we know God intimately (Jer. 9:23-24).
Recognizing our pride is the first step to resolving it. We must be willing to confess, renounce, and consciously try to eliminate it from our lives.
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