Thoughts on Pride

The world does not revolve around me.

Say this to yourself right now. I'm saying it too. We need a reality check, a mind makeover, a heart transplant - not yearly but hourly, momentarily. It's deceiving how easily we allow ourselves to slip into this mindset, masking it by what we call our faith. Pride is elusive. The very thought that one is not proud (or not as proud as the next) is the essence of pride. Pride was at the root of the Fall of Man; and it still lays claim on the lives of people. It is in fact what keeps you and I from being real with one another; it keeps the Holy Spirit away from what we desire to keep in control; it tells us that we are right and they are wrong; it makes the excuses we always give; it keeps us from admitting our wrong or asking for help; it hates rebuke, despises it, avoids it. Pride has many expressions and, when fueled by Satan's lies, is a tool of destruction to both ourselves, to our witness, and to the body of Christ. Pride is not merely "arrogance", or "conceit" as the dictionary defines it. To accept such definition as truth above the Word of God is an act of pride in itself. We must acknowledge how pride infiltrates our thoughts, motivates our actions (or inaction), and defines the world that we see when we are not looking through the eyes of Jesus Christ.

We like to use people but of course, we won't admit it. Classic pride at work. I've observed (even from myself) that the most common use of people is in the form of security. Friends make us feel good about ourselves, otherwise they probably wouldn't be our friends. Best friends are even better; they are not only listeners, advisors, and complimentors, but convenient and comfortable company. They warrant immediate invitation when loneliness comes upon us or when we don't want to appear alone in a crowd. They give promise of someone to chat with at any time, even when the other company gets boring, crowded, or uneasy. Security. Don't get me wrong, friends are necessary in life and a good thing. They make life on this earth all the more pleasant and fun! Rather, what needs to be understood is how pride is at work in the way we use our friendships (or relationship of any kind) to provide an identity for us that should be found in Christ alone.

The apostle Paul's life reminds us of our mandate as Christians who have given their life over to Christ. He often walked free of human company, especially when his travels brought him to inconvenient and uncomfortable places, or to places where his life was in danger. Although he lacked the human company we long for and seek during our tough times, his faith alone in the strength and cause of Christ was his security; so much so that he had no bias in his ministry nor towards the people God called him to preach to. His focus was not on his own comfortability but on Christ's credibility in his life. For Paul, life revolved around the renown of Jesus Christ.

I decided to blog on this particular topic because of observations that I've made and conversations that I've had about relationships. Our friendships are a gift from the Lord, but can so easily become idols in our lives, even without our knowing (or perhaps we are too prideful to admit it). When you take the time to pick apart and analyze the role that an idol of any kind plays in our lives, pride is at the heart of it. When Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving instructions from the Lord, the Israelites got worried, restless, and impatient. They created idols to deal with their insecurity, to appease their pride and self-interest. They sought their own solution and dismissed the Lord's. Are we not still like those stubborn Israelites, even though God has provided us with Jesus Christ?

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. We will never get away with acting on pride; God holds us accountable to our motives, thoughts, and actions through the Holy Spirit in us and equips us with the strength to confront and admit our weaknesses, humble ourselves, and turn to Him.