The Symptoms of Pride- Part 3
What are some other symptoms of pride?
Verse of the Day
‘And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”’
Today’s Devotional
The more I read the Word, the more I see places where I am being asked to submit, obey, and make some changes. I guess that’s the point, right? If my life on this earth is meant to sanctify, then that can’t happen without walking through the fires of purification. But just like today’s verse says, God gives grace generously. He offers us the chance to notice our pride in small ways before it has the chance to take over our minds and hearts.
Jesus used the analogy of yeast when he was with the disciples. Just a little bit of yeast causes the whole batch of dough to swell. Perhaps pride is the same way. Just little symptoms of pride, left unchecked, can swell and grow into the kind of pride that is consuming and we can no longer see it. Today, let’s look at the last batch of symptoms so that we can recognize our pride before it has a chance to swell.
- Being Picky About Who We Hang Out With and Being a Know-It-All: ‘Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!’ (Romans 12:16) I have been guilty of not wanting to attend an event because of who was or was not going to be there. Have you? We are all ordinary people, whether we can admit that or not. Likewise, I know there have been times in my life when I thought I was smarter than other people. That’s exactly what being a know-it-all looks like. I have heard a friend say that the smartest person in the room is actually the one who knows how much he does not know.
- Thinking I’ve Got it All Together: ‘If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.’ (1 Corinthians 10:12) There is a delicate balance between having confidence and always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Pride chooses one extreme or the other. Humility has confidence in God with eager expectation of His strength, power, and guidance, knowing that our part is minimal. Thinking “I’ve got this” is a symptom of pride.
- Inflated Self Importance and Unwillingness to Help: ‘If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.’ (Galatians 6:3) This symptom could appear in not wanting to help a certain person, with thinking I’m too busy to be of service, or with thinking the actual job is beneath me. I cannot cast any stones here. I hate mundane chores, for me or for anyone else. But they must be done, and helping others is a great way to show love that’s not hard to do. It’s actually refreshing to be reminded that I’m not that important. My brain likes to tell me otherwise.
- Comparing Myself to Others: ‘Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.’ (Galatians 6:4) Keep this verse in the back of your mind. We will be looking at it again soon. For now, let’s focus on comparison. Comparison is the thief of joy. In comparing myself to others, I assume that we are all starting from the same place, or that we all deserve the same things, or that we should all have the same assignments. None of those things are true. But my pride can’t see that.
- Selfishness and Desire to Impress Others: ‘Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.’ (Philippians 2:3) For me, it’s easy to say that selfishness is prideful. It’s much harder to recognize, in the moment, when I am being selfish. Which makes me really grateful for the nudges from the Holy Spirit that allow me to recognize those thoughts and behaviors that are selfish. And there’s the desire to impress. This is a struggle because we want others to think well of us. Or at least I do. But if I’m truly being humble, I would be able to set down what I think you might be thinking of me and be satisfied with just doing the right thing.
- Security in Money: ‘Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.’ (1 Timothy 6:17) Pride keeps me from recognizing that every cent I have is a gift from God. Pride believes there is security in having a certain amount of money. But the Bible is very clear: money is unreliable and not worthy of any amount of pride or trust.
- Not Accepting Authority: ‘In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”’ (1 Peter 5:5) No matter your age, there is always someone senior, or in a higher position of authority, or with more experience. Pride tells me that I have every right to not submit to any human authority. The Bible tells me otherwise. The Bible tells me that all earthly authorities have been placed in their position by God. ‘Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.’ (Romans 13:1)
- Focusing on Achievements and Possessions: ‘For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.’ (1 John 2:16) I notice that the world is offering me pride in my achievements and possessions. And many times I take the world up on its offer. It’s very easy to be proud of what we have done and what we have acquired. But we are being told clearly here that this is pride and it is not from God.
Three days to go over the symptoms of pride. And I’m quite sure that I missed some for which there is no specific scriptural reference. Like not being willing to accept help from others. The next few days we will dig a little deeper as we compare pride against humility.
I listened to a sermon about pride. The preacher, Robert Morris, said that all pride has its roots in insecurity. And that really made me think. If I was secure in my God-given identity, then I would not need anything or anyone to exalt me in any way. I would know who I am and Whose I am, and that would be enough.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
Do you agree or disagree that pride is rooted in insecurity? Why or why not?
Which of today’s symptoms are a struggle for you?
How do those symptoms point out your pride?
How can you tell God that you are willing for Him to remove any pride you have been able to recognize?
If you are willing, pray (out loud or in writing) Psalm 139:24, and then read through the verses in today’s post again. ‘Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.’
Celebration!
Today marks the 1 year anniversary of the launch of Hunger & Thirst. Thank you so much for being a part of this journey. Your presence here, your participation… it is so appreciated. Words cannot express my gratitude adequately. If these writings have served you in any way, would you be willing to share the website with a friend?