Pride - A Distorted View of Reality

A bad tree yields  bad fruit… good fruit comes from a good tree… out of the abundance of the heart so a person speaks… and so they act. Jesus words tell us that sin happens because of bad thinking which leads to bad behavior. The big culprits are lust of the flesh, covetousness, and the pride of life.

Today we are going to look at pride. We'll try to define pride, we’ll explore 5 areas where pride sprouts up, and 5 of the forms it takes... finally considering how a realistic self image can help us combat pride.

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Pride: A Distorted View of Reality

Definition: What is Pride?

The OT Hebrew uses a variety of descriptive words to picture pride: high, exalted, elevated, grand... many of these coming from root words with the idea of swell, inflate, or puff up. The NT also uses descriptive phrases like "high minded","emptiness/vanity","puffed up" to depict pride.

The NT writers had to be careful to reject Greek values built into their language.The Greeks valued  pride and self sufficiency… esteeming those who were born of the right stock... and despised those who were humble. Teaching humility was foolishness to the Greeks 1 Corinthians 1:18-31.

Recognizing your dependence on the living God for both your present physical existence and your hope of eternal existence after death is a mindset you need to combat pride.

Pride is a Distorted View of Self

Isaiah 14:12-15 pride is like a drug or strong drink... under its influence we do not have a clear head... we are not thinking soberly... our grip on reality is looser.

The proud person is intoxicated with... themself… they have a distorted view of who they are… that leads to an unwarranted self confidence and puts us into conflict with reality... Pride puts you in conflict with the living God who is the creator and sustainer of our reality…

James 4:6 God resists the proud but shows favor to the humble.

Proverbs 16:18 ultimately pride leads to death because God will not grant spirit born eternal life to the person who has not done battle with  their pride.

To avoid the destruction that accompanies pride we must adopt, and maintain, a realistic view of our own smallness, dependence, and fragility within the grand plan of God. Yet at the same time recognize our tremendous potential within Gods spiritual creation. This balance is the proper basis for a positive self image… rather than the false sense of self worth which is pride.

5 Areas of Pride

Pride can be just a general confidence in self touching every facet of your life... but most often human pride focuses on some specific areas.

1. Pride of position + status: Jesus railed on the pharisees who loved sit in the chief seats... He scolded the disciples warning them about the desire to lord it over others telling them "that is not the way it is to be with you". Thinking more highly of yourself by comparing our self with others is a false way to measure self worth.

All authority on earth ultimately is ordained and approved by God who gave mankind dominion over the earth for an allotted time. If you have a position over others what matters is what you do with that position. Do you use your position to be  blessing to others, to help them, to serve their needs? This is God's perspective on authority and position...

It is also a a realistic way to look at your position that will help you combat pride of position.

2. Pride of ability or achievements: some are able achieve amazing things... for some it is because they are gifted from birth... for some it comes from discipline and application... usually its a combination of both. God appreciates achievement... but not pride based on achievement.

We might view our God given gifts as a way we are superior to others... we consider our hard work as reason for taking full credit for achievement... but the greatness we might achieve through hard work could also be a product of time and chance... maybe you were simply at the right place at the right time... born into circumstances that make achievement easier... how many great people lived and died as slaves and never had the opportunities you have to achieve and accomplish? James 4:13-17

The great lottery of life gives more to some than others... what God is concerned with is not the natural born ability... musical prodigy... amazing built in athleticism... being born or aristocratic or wealthy parents... He is interested in what you do with what you have been given.

This is a realistic perspective on ability and achievement that will help you overcome pride.

3. Pride of possessions: accumulating stuff is among the least of human achievements...because it is so transient. But its also a very tangible measuring stick of success and reward for hard work.

We can avoid becoming proud of out possessions by understanding their true purpose. Everything belongs to God... you and I merely have what we have on loan from Him for a while. Are you generous with what you have... do you use your possessions to help others… are  you a good steward of what God has given you... this is what God is interested in 1 Timothy 6:17-19.

That is realistic perspective that will help you overcome the pride of possessions

4. Pride of knowledge: here is one that has really taken off in our society in recent decades... in every direction I see people who are exalted, or who exalt themselves, because they are "smarter"... especially concerning technology. But, "smarter" is all based on what you perceive to be important.

Pride of knowledge is part of the great sin of Adam & Eve... wasn't the fruit of the tree "desirable for gaining wisdom"?

1 Corinthians 8:1-3 pride of knowledge can affect bible knowledge... is it more important to know all the ins and outs of doctrine, or prophecy... or to know and appreciate all there is to know about love?

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 knowledge of technology, or of money management, or medicine, or law are good. They serve a great purpose. But to avoid pride lets place these in perspective... concentrate on the knowledge that lasts. 

1 Cor 3:18Paul is addressing the wisdom of humility… which is considered foolish by most.

This is a realistic perspective on knowledge that helps to fight against the sin of pride.

5. Pride of spiritual attainment: everyone knows its wrong to judge ourselves praise worthy... so this one goes underground and hides... often it is seen in the guise of false humility... or, comparing out selves to others... it could even be as insidious as thinking "look how much more humble I am that she is".

Maybe you are actually more righteous than the person sitting next to you… but measuring your worth by comparing yourself with others is meaningless. The only valid measuring stick is God’s complete and total holiness before which we can only be humble Job 40:2-4.

Forms of Pride

Pride can be visible and easy to detect... it can also be more subtle and require insight, self examination, and honesty to recognize. Here are some forms of pride of special concern for Christians [from highly visible to less visible]:

Boasting: this is one that is so obvious that most mature Christians don't do it.

Seeking praise: you might solicit feedback on your efforts in a desire to improve... or you might be fishing for compliments. Another way of seeking praise is comparing ourselves with others we consider inferior... thinking this will make us appear superior... better that we compare our self to Jesus who set a standard that all human being fall short of.

Accepting honor: graciously accepting a deserved compliment may not be pride... but we can easily let it go to our head. Rejecting a compliment outright can easily be perceived as a rejection of the person... a good tactic is to accept the gesture but adopt an approach that says "I can do these things through Christ who strengthens me".

Invisible pride: one clever disguise pride assumes is the put down... couldn't a put down really be seen as an attempt to elevate yourself by dragging others down?

Being argumentative, or thin skinned or easily offended often are rooted in pride: "why wasn't I invited","no one sent me flowers when I was sick","I’m not in charge but that's not the right way to do things",or, ”how dare you treat me that way”.

Pride masquerading as humility: a person who is timid, who projects a poor self-image, who puts down self... surely these are the humble ones?

But timidity or fear may well stem from not wanting anyone to see our weaknesses [protecting our ego at all costs]... we fear being seen as less than perfect... self put downs might be a way to soften the blow by beating others to the punch.

Do we hold back on zealous and enthusiastic engagement with what the Church is doing through pride? Through not wanting to look foolish in the eyes of others.

Whether BOLD of TIMID… You cannot have real humility when you are pre-occupied with yourself.

Proper Self Image

A biblical perspective on self image that has gone out of fashion is the "I am nothing"..."I am but a worm"..."the true disciple must hate himself or he cannot follow Christ" approach.

Another biblical perspective on self image is the "I am a princess... the daughter of the great king","I can do all things if I have faith and believe". Many big name preachers have made a lot of money with this teaching... buts its not much comfort when you are sitting next to a loved one in the hospital whose life is hanging on by a thread.

There is a biblical basis for both of these perspectives... and we can reconcile them.

Who Am I?

Jacob said, "I am unworthy of all the good things you have done for me and the faithfulness you have shown me"...Moses asked "who am I that I should go before Pharaoh and bring Israel out of Egypt"?... David asked "who am I LORD and what is my family that you should make this covenant with me? ... Isaiah said "I am a man of unclean lips... unworthy to speak as a prophet of God".... Paul said "I am the least of the apostles, and the greatest of sinners".

Yet these men were all great achievers... they held a lowly image of themselves in relation to the greatness and holiness of God. But they also realized they were  part of something grand, magnificent... universe shaking! They had purpose and worked hard to accomplish much.

We too should base our confidence, self esteem, sense of worth and value on our place in God’s great plan to bring many children into glorious eternal joy in His universal family! That is something to be excited about.

You can have great confidence and self esteem and positive self image knowing you are important enough to God that He gave His only begotten son for you... and that the living God who is sovereign over all things wants to dwell in you.  

Pride is a distortion of our natural, normal, healthy desire for a positive self image… the antidote to pride is humility before God and a true sense of self esteem based on the work of spiritual creation He is performing in you Romans 12:3-12.