OCTOBER 7: THE DOUBLE EDGE SWORD”

Today, we will look at the character trait of Pride. Pride can be negative or positive. Positive pride is temporary and can be in one’s achievements such as when you pass an examination or receive a well-deserved award, or your team wins the game or someone associated with you achieves something similar. You feel a sense of pride at these things and that is okay. There is also the pride of dignity when you are intentional not to be associated with negative behavior for instance, deciding to hold on to integrity no matter the cost. David, an ordinary shepherd boy was not driven by self-pride (ego, arrogance and conceit)when he touted his credentials to Saul or when he stood before Goliath and derided him. Rather, he was motivated by courage and confidence in a mighty God. All these are okay in context as long as they do not become disproportionate.

While positive pride may be temporary, negative pride is an overriding and abiding consciousness of superiority over others. It is when you expect others to treat you in a certain way or you treat others in a certain way because of who you think you are. It is
characterized by words such as ego, arrogance and conceit. It is this negative pride that God detests and resists. This was the sin of lucifer, the covering cherub that got him expelled from the presence of God. Negative pride displeases God and will keep you from achieving God’s purposes.

Pride is one of those hidden sins that we may not know is present until we are asked to do something that we consider ‘beneath’ us, even when it benefits others and advances God’s will. Jesus our Lord was God and IS God yet, He humbled Himself (not taking advantage of who He was or demanding certain privileges), taking on flesh, coming to this world and subjecting Himself to His creation to achieve the purpose of the Father and please Him. He obeyed to the very end, even the shameful death on the cross. Imagine if He felt He was ‘too big’ to be like us and take our place or if He changed His mind at the last minute because the people He was suffering to save were not showing enough appreciation.

The question for us today is, who are you and what is the basis for your pride? While it is okay to have a ‘temporary sense’ of pride based on an achievement, lasting and everyday pride (confidence and courage) must be in who we are in Christ and our boast must be in the Lord (Jeremiah 9:24; Psalm 34:2).

Prayer: Lord, thank You for who I am and all that I have in You. May I never at any time become prideful, arrogant and conceited based on the temporary attainment soft his world but may my boast ever be in You, Jehovah, the Most High God whose Kingdom never ends. Amen.