Humbly walking before God leaves no room for pride.
I don’t presume to put my name in a blog entry because usually it’s not necessary. Indeed at the end of the day it’s not even about what I think about pride, it’s about what God thinks about it. Yet I felt it was good to share my own understanding of the approach on the issue and then see how it goes.
This will not be my entire thoughts on the matter and it won’t be my final word either. What I love about growing and learning is that I am sure there is more to learn and that might mean different words to what I say now.
First up, the issue of pride is very important to me. It’s important to me because historically of all the challenges and issues I have encountered this issue is the deepest and most prevalent issue. It’s the most corrosive, deceptive and debilitating issue I face. As it should be. There are a lot of symptoms that can be dealt with but pride is the root of a lot of the issues and if that isn’t sorted you can forget everything else.
OK, so what do I mean by pride. By pride I am referring to an inflated perception of the self. It puts self on the throne and whatever comes from self is idolised. My contention is that it’s not really possible to be proud and humble. The two to me are diametrically opposed. Humility sources everything in the One who allows everything to be. Pride is more than happy to take all the credit for that which belongs to another.
As you can imagine I don’t hold pride in a high regard at all. In fact I also believe pride was at the heart of the fall. Pride was at the heart of the ways in which the devil subsequently sought to tempt Jesus. It is the most subtle of sins, people are often blind-sided by the more obvious displays of pride in arrogance and boastful behaviour, but pride is evident in people’s inability to be selfless, generous or behave in a manner genuinely looking for the best of the other. That doesn’t require a lot in the way of an obnoxious behaviour, but it’s still obnoxious.
Pride is also evident in those little ways we like to impose a sense of superiority complex. That’s evident in cultural and ethnic distaste for others. That’s evident in some of the sneering displays towards people who are different and apparently in a less advantageous position. Rather than seeing any material, intellectual or social advantage as a reason to be grateful and then be helpful, it’s seen as being glad it’s not you and avoiding them wherever possible.
All motivated by pride.
I would say that lust is a manifestation of pride. I desire for who? I crave for who? I am desperate for what reason? Primarily for whose benefit? My own.
Wait a minute, here’s a voice piping up: “Hey Christopher, isn’t there anything good about pride? You’ve really given it a bad name. You’ve pasted it from pillar to post. It can’t be that bad. I take pride in my work, you haven’t got a problem with that have you? I am proud of my son, I am proud of my daughter when they achieve something. Surely there’s nothing wrong with that. What’s your problem, man? Chill out, have a cherry bakewell tart and a glass of Orange Lucozade and give some credit to the positive aspects of pride.”
The desire to excel, the effort you put into an activity, the nature of the care and attention you pay in what you’ve been told to do and the subsequent good result is not anything in itself to consider in a negative way. That, I understand, is the thinking behind ‘taking pride’ in something. That works for some people. I am not stopping them from holding that concept. For me, however, I can talk about that sentiment without using the phrase. For me the terminology again refers to a chest thumping sense of ‘look what I have done, look at what I have achieved’. There’s not much between that and the prelude to a fall. I can be really happy about something I have done and still give God all the credit for it. I can prepare diligently and perform with excellence in something and reflect on it with contentment and joy and acknowledge my part in it whilst still giving all credit to God in a way that people won’t see me putting myself in the front seat. Hey, I know of people who do the false modesty thing. “Awwww shucks … it was nothing really, ahhh what do I know.” That kind of nonsense is actually worse than outright arrogance at times because it’s a subtle way in which the individual looks for further acclaim. Humility acknowledges your part and gives all the credit to God for His.
Does that mean you can’t be proud of your friends and family? Again if you want to do that, go ahead. I’m not stopping you. (As if I could). All I would say is that when I see my daughter do something amazing, I am reminded of how God commended His Son for acts of obedience – this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. God didn’t need to talk about pride. He said how He felt – He was pleased, His son was loved, His position is acknowledged. Nothing more needed for the matter. When my daughter does something well I share how I feel – delighted, overjoyed, pleased. Pride is not necessary or helpful. It adds nothing to it and can often detract from it. We share a feeling towards the family member. It’s shared out to help others know what the case is.
At present, I’m a fairly relieved man to have to not rely on any hint of pride in the set up of life. It makes things a lot less complicated. It keeps in focus to whom belongs all the glory. The focus is never lost. No sense of subtle alterations. Plain and simple.
Humbly walking before God leaves no room for pride.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
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