The Problem With Pride

          People have various definitions of pride. Some think of it as a good thing. Then, others consider it bad. The dictionary.com definition of the word pride is this:

Pride: a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.

         

This definition also showed up:

Pride: a group of lions.

Okay, well, that's different, as well as not important. But I digress.

         That definition of pride was also accompanied with synonyms: conceit, egotism, vanity. Yes, pride is bad. It gives us the idea of being better than others, which is never a way that one should live their life.

Proverbs 16:5 - The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

Well, then. If we are proud and prideful, then we are in big trouble with God, and that's quite a shame. God detests pride. Unfortunately, we are all only human and frequently sin, including being prideful and selfish people.

Proverbs 26:12 - Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Yet again, this is pretty harsh, but it is very true. If we consider ourselves more important and significant than others and treat people so, we have no hope. Someone who is lost and far away from God has more hope than we do if we believe ourselves to be "all that."

1 Corinthians 5:6 - Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?

If we boast even just a little, it works inside of us and eventually you will find yourself very selfish as well as self-obsessed and conceited. That's a problem. A big one.

Philippians 2:3 - Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

This says we should do things out of the kindness of our hearts, not to show that we are awesome or better than others or more spiritual or a number of other circumstances that occur every single day.

Proverbs 22:4 - Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life.

"Oh, thank goodness. A positive verse." Humility is a quality that everyone should have instead of pride. Humility is a wonderful thing, to be willing to serve others before yourself and to think of others instead of yourself.

Humility: the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one's 

own importance, rank, etc.

         Humility doesn't mean, "Oh, I'm worth nothing. I'm not special or important or talented or anything." NO! Don't you do that. That isn't right. I'm sure you, reader, are a wonderful person who deserves all of the wonderful things in life. Humility does not mean beating yourself up. It means being concerned for others than you are for yourself, to be selfless.

         The first step to get rid of pride, or to really get rid of anything negative, is to admit that you are prideful. Then pray. Ask God for guidance because He will certainly provide. He wants to help. All you have to do is ask. 

I have struggled with having pride for a while now. Whenever I notice I am being prideful, I all of a sudden feel absolutely terrible, as everyone should, and I try to think myself out of the situation to thoughts of thinking of others. This does not always work. It can get frustrating. We all have our prideful moments. I don’t want to become a prideful, pretentious, pompous, stuck-up person with an I-am-better-than-everybody outlook on life. I fight. I pray. I forget. I mess up. It’s a cycle that happens over and over again, and I can tell you that it is exhausting and absolutely frustrating when all you are doing is thinking of yourself and how great you are. But it isn't worth it. When you have other people in your life that you love to help any you care about so much, being selfless just becomes so much easier because you love to make the people you love smile. And that is a wonderful thing.