Pride, is viewed by many as the “core of all sin.” It is a complicated aspect of human nature that when left unchecked, can lead us away from our faith and purpose. For this reason, knowing the difference between healthy self-esteem and sinful pride is crucial.
The significant pride in the Bible cannot be overstated. The word is intricately tied to the concept of the seven deadly sins.
Satan viewed himself as glorious instead of what he actually was, a reflection of God’s glory. Proverbs 16:18 says,
“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
So why is pride so strongly warned against in the Bible? Why is pride a sin? is it always a sand to feel proud of something you have a accomplished? It’s important to understand what precisely is the pride that God hates. God hates pride of self righteousness or conceit. God hates it mainly because pride hinders a persons desire to seek and find the one through God.
We cannot love God and be proud of the same time. He hates those who want to be higher than anyone or above Him.
The pride that turns us away from God and believing we can do everything independently. Human pride that thinks lives would be much better without God.
Satan’s pride caused him to desire to be higher than God. He rebuilt against God because he was not happy with the position God had entrusted to him. He wanted to raise his throne above the stars of God and become the Highest. (Isaiah 14:12-14).
Satan was regarded as the most beautiful all God’s creations. The Bible describes Satan as the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. God anointed him to become a guardian cherub. He was blameless in his ways from the day he was created until pride got in his way. (Ezekiel 28:12-15).
God exile him and the other angels with him from heaven. But Satan did not stop his ambitions and tempted Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. It was the beginning of having pride in humans. It started thinking we could be better than God.
Pride can only hurt us and steal the wonderful things that God has prepared for us. In other words, being humble before the God has more benefits than allowing Satan to instill pride in us.
when we humble ourselves before God and not let pride come our way, we experience real happiness. It is the kind of satisfaction that only God can give. The kind of happiness that nothing this world could ever offer.
Pride destroys our relationship with God and others. If we look closely we can see who are full of sinful pride in the world.
- Pride is a secret fondness to be noticed
- Pride is a love of supremacy
- Pride is drawing attention to yourself in every conversation
- Pride is enjoying, and being flattered
- Pride is a swelling of one self
- Pride is loving to have your name at the top of the list
- Pride is when the praise of men is more important than the praise of God
Proverbs 8:13 tells us what pride God hates,
“ I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior, and perverse speech.”
Proverbs 13:10 tells us,
“Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is with people who take advice.”
If you look carefully, you will realize that every single sin in the Bible traces back to one or all of the three activities of focusing on ourselves.
Self-reliance – “ if I have a problem, I don’t need you or anyone else to help. I can take care of myself. This is a superiority complex
Self-Centeredness – “ I will take from you to me all my wants and needs. I am more important than you are.” This is also a superiority complex
Self-Condemnation – “ I would love to do things for God, but I’m not worth much. I can’t do much. God‘s not interested in using me.” This is an inferiority complex.
Pride ruins our ability to fulfill the greatest commandment – to love God and love others.
C.S. Lewis wrote,
“There is one vice of which no man in the world is free, which everyone loathes when he sees it in someone else, and of which hardly anyone imagined that he is guilty.”
People admit that they are bad tempered, cowards, jealous, and bitter. But few excuse themselves of pride.
Most people do not consider themselves proud or vulnerable to pride. Yet it is one of the major categories of sin in the Bible. And it is in each of our hearts.
From Pity to Praise 