No wonder that over and over again, Scripture tells us that God hates pride (Prov 6:16-17, Prov 8:13) and He will not leave it unpunished (Isaiah 2:11-17.) God?s Word teaches us that ?Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall? (Prov 16:18.)? This is a frightening reality, because, if we are honest, pride is always present in our hearts and homes, even if we are often oblivious to its presence. ?
How do we detect pride? What are the characteristics of prideful people?
Prideful people tend to be self-righteous, thinking more highly of themselves than they should. They are often oblivious to their own failures and shortcomings and have difficulty admitting their own sin. Because of this, prideful people tend to think that they don?t really need God. If we are a ?good person? all on our own, then we feel no need to come to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith. Why confess our sin and prayerfully seek God?s grace and mercy to help in our times of need, if we are ?okay? all on our own? If we find ourselves thinking very little of our own sin and need, then we are likely a prideful person.
Prideful people also tend to possess a critical spirit where others are concerned. They are exceptionally good at pointing out the faults of others. In large part, this is because a prideful person feels superior and is confident that they are doing everything ?the right way.? Therefore, they tend to look down upon those who disagree with them or who fall short of their standard.? If we find ourselves constantly criticizing others, then pride is likely running rampant in our own hearts.
Prideful people are often self-protective and self-serving. They selfishly guard the use of their time, talents and treasures and will insist on receiving what they feel they deserve. They tend to demand their own rights and refuse to let any wrong go unpunished. They are defensive when questioned and typically make excuses and blame others when confronted about their own sin and failures. They often have a very hard time saying, ?I was wrong? and asking for forgiveness. If this describes us, then we need to beware of the fall which pride will sooner or later bring about in our lives.
Prideful people tend to be self-conscious. They are overly concerned about what other people think of them. They tend to be fixated on success, self-advancement and recognition. They want to be noticed by others and, when people don?t notice them, they can easily become sullen and depressed and feel like they are being slighted.? This also manifests itself in jealousy when others are recognized and appreciated. If we spend an excessive amount of time pondering what others think of us, then pride is no doubt lurking beneath the surface of our lives.
Think about how prevalent pride is in our homes.? Think about how often we see families fall apart as a result of pride. Pride leads us to think only of ourselves. It leads us think we deserve to have things our own way, even at the expense of others. The self-serving attitude produced by pride destroys any possibility of truly loving relationships. It pushes away those who would encourage us and counsel us toward greater relational health. It causes us to rely on ourselves rather than to seek God, who is the only One who can truly correct the problems in ourselves and in our homes. Pride, if left unchecked, leads to personal and family destruction! And none of us are immune. The sooner we recognize the danger of pride in our hearts and homes, then the sooner we can begin combating this sinful tendency within ourselves and our families.
I believe the words of John RW Stott ring true, both in our personal lives and in our homes, ?At every stage of our Christian development and in every sphere of our Christian discipleship, pride is the greatest enemy and humility our greatest friend.?? If we want to have healthy, God-honoring families, then we must prayerfully consider how prevalent pride is in our homes and we must strive to root out pride in our own hearts. We must plead with God to revive within our homes a spirit of humility which leads us to confess our pride, trusting that God will forgive us and remove this sinful tendency from our midst (I Jn 1:9.)? Remember, ?Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall? (Prov 16:18.) May God Himself protect us from the danger of pride in our homes!
Pastor Dan can be reached at (928) 537-7555 or at pastordan@calvaryshowlow.org.
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