THE SCENARIO: Dear Christian friend, this scenario revolves around two characters: you (or, yours), and me (or, mine). It is carefully designed to help us take personal inventory of our pride. Toward that end, some of the questions that follow may “bite” you and me a little bit. They are respectfully intended for both the believer and the unbeliever. Let us by Jehovah our God’s grace and power ever keep pride in check, this consummate enemy of our God and His people.
In the outworking of this scenario please consider the following points:
A. Jehovah God
B. Secular
2. Positive, Negative, Always, Sometimes?
4. Pride in Competition-Winning, Losing; in Correction, in Wrongs, in Mockery
Figure 1 IFIC: Clear Christcentric Communication for God’s Glory
That by your gracious Spirit we may “IFIC” this Lord, for your Glory only, amen…
1. Let’s start with some definitions of pride.
- Godlessness (Old Testament, New Testament, passim).
- a haughty spirit, haughty eyes (Psa 101:5, Pro 21:4);
- boasting (Isa 16:6, 2Cr 10:17-18);
- conceit (Phl 2:3);
- trust in self (Pro 28:25-26);
- no fear of the sovereign Lord God Jehovah (Pro 8:13, cf. Job 28:28);
- justification of self, to self, to others (Pro 26:12, Isa 5:21, Luk 16:15);
- praising self (self glorification), fixed on/infatuated with, the praises of people (Pro 27:2, Jhn 5:44);
- roughshod trampling/climbing (Mar 9:35).
the quality or state of being proud; inordinate self-esteem;
an unreasonable conceit of one’s own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, rank, etc., which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often contempt of others, often with or in a sense of one’s own worth, and abhorrence of what is beneath or unworthy of one;
lofty self-respect;
noble self-esteem (more positive?);
elevation of character (more positive?);
dignified bearing (more positive?);
proud delight (more positive?), (“Pride,” see also “Hubris”).
Can pride ever be positive? Is it sinful for a parent to be proud of their children, for example? Depends. We are going to assume that for the most part pride is negative (in that it displeases Jehovah God), but there may be instances when pride may be positive (in that it does not displease Jehovah God). Maybe pride is always negative—what do you think? Please be Scriptural as you prayerfully think this through.
First a qualifying setup question: Is Satan real, or just a “neurosis” peculiar to our faith (Christianity)? Please defend Scripturally and/or otherwise if you can. Now, whence pride? In the case of Satan it came by way of wicked misappropriation for self of blessing (Eze 28:17). Pride has a basis, which basis may be entirely good and worthy (like blessing). The problem is not the basis per se. Is not gluttony over against the blessing of food, perversion over against the blessing of sex, and slothfulness over against the blessing of sleep, more or less the same sorts of wicked misappropriation for self of God’s blessings? Okay, pride has a basis, but that is not the answer to our question (whence pride?). Consider carefully this verse please (Hos 13:6). Assuming pride has a basis, it is clear that there must be a dynamic that motivates wicked misappropriation for self of said basis; there must be a “misappropriation springboard” if you will; a misappropriation springboard anchored to a basis. And perhaps that springboard is Satiety, be that as it may (emotional, physical, even spiritual?). When one’s needs are met, when the environment is peaceful, and stable, when it is sure, even dependable for continuity of the status quo, there is “Satiety.” And then may follow the “luxury” of pride (wicked misappropriation for self of a basis). Multifarious Affluence probably breeds this pride by way of wicked misappropriation for self of a basis (blessing), if not in the given generation at hand, then almost always once or twice removed, if the affluence persists (Ahaz and Judah come to mind here for example: Uzziah>>Jotham>>Ahaz, “Isaiah Chapter Seven Commentary”). One can be sure that the basis upon which one “hangs their hat” in pride, is a lover; thus there is but a microstep from pride, to idolatry; the two live under the same roof, or, between the same two ears, or, in the same heart—and there, in said heart, they compete for space, that is, for heart-throne-space—not with one another, but rather, together, they compete with God for that throne (“Isaiah chapter Fifty-six Commentary”). Dear Christian friend, are you at ease, largely in need of no one or nothing? Has pride, tethered to some basis/bases, slithered in? If so, can you identify the basis? Further, are you poor in spirit, aiming for a personal lowliness like unto that of our incarnate Lord? Does your sense of “self worth” preclude such a goal (“self worth” is not biblical by the way; “worth” per se is a God-judgment, and comes through the Agent of creation, even the Word of God, Jesus “John Chapter One Commentary”)? How much time do you (still) spend on your knees before God per se; on your knees thanking God for forgiveness of Sin, indeed, confessing said Sin, thanking Him for Redemption | Salvation? (“A Letter of Invitation”—respectfully, lovingly, some retooling perhaps; separately, an explanatory letter here for the unbeliever: unbelieving friend, we only mean it well to say that Godless pride is like a constricted spiritual-aorta—it prevents the very Life-flow of the Spirit of God [Jhn 4:10, 14, 7:37-38]. O unbelieving friend, God wants your heart; won’t you soon drink deeply at that Life-flow-Fount, and live; thus we shall meet one fine day and fellowship in God’s green fields you and I and our brethren, with our loving, dear Savior in our midst; this is our prayer for you, in Jesus’ strong salvific Name, amen).
Dear Christian friend, does pride motivate your competition/s? Do you nurse a fame basis?, or an I’m-a-fat-paycheck-person basis? Could you be satisfied with less pay and the joy of competition or the camaraderie oftentimes manifest by way of competition or the joy of giving it your best or the joy and thrill of winning per se? Is winning like unto God in your heart? Do you have any problems with losing (loss of identity, prolonged and exceeding depression, rage)? How about being duly or even unduly corrected, or being told you are wrong—how do you feel about that sort of thing—can you to some measure at least be peaceable more often than not, especially when in fact you are wrong/in need of correction?, or are you angry, even enraged, just at the mention or even the thought of correction?, are you anxious here?, apathetic? (passive, indifferent, willing to listen). When you are wronged, do you show a pattern of “losing it” and blowing up, straightaway getting even, or fixing mentally on the wrong, and/or fixing on getting even (as in an obsessive compulsion)?, because after all, big shot you was wronged; or do you more or less take it in stride, fixing mentally on forgiveness, prayerfully moving on? (“You’re Wrong”). How about mockery, say, in the extreme—suppose someone spat on you (cf. Mat 27:30)—could you refrain from spitting back, hitting, devising a get-even-plan? What if they spat on you when you were surrounded by peers whom you admire or buddy-up with? Suppose someone laughed at you, blatantly treated you contemptibly, as though you were “dirt”? How would you handle that? Does your pride insist on recouping “lost pride” here? Do you send people the message that “they better not mess with you”?, because again, you’re a big shot? Can you discern the difference between (a) reacting because your pride is hurt, and (b) reacting to save your and/or your family and friends’ skin?
First a qualifying setup question. What precisely is Sin (what is it, what is the standard here, who sets the standard, is the standard absolute or relative, etc. [Scripture is absolute; why?, because Jesus Christ, the very Linchpin upon whom biblical prophecy turns, and consummates, attests it to be the Word of God, which of course is absolute; in this way the faith of Christianity is based on fact, absolutely; Jhn 20:30-31, 21:25, “The Alpha and the Omega”]). Now, pride in all its subtleties is the motivation for many sins (deceit, murder, slander, on it goes). Why? Consider here, at least, the self factor vis-a-vis Sin. Again the qualifying setup question posed at the outset: Is Satan real, or just a “neurosis” peculiar to our faith (Christianity)? Please defend Scripturally and/or otherwise if you can. Now, do you think that pride is Satan’s guiding motivation (Isa 14:12-14, Eze 28:17)? Please allow us to “milk” that question a little bit: what is depravity as defined by our faith? Is Satan’s pride manifest depravity? Is humankind depraved? If so, whence this depravity: ([1] is it manifest human rebellion against God like unto Satan’s proud rebellion, yet a rebellion-bent [and thus identification with Satan] that gurgles up from within humankind; [consider here, at least, Gen 3:1-6, Isa 14:12-14, Eze 28:17, Jhn 8:43-47], [2] is it only “mental,” or [3] none of the above, that is, “it’s just out there,” so to speak)—what do you think? Some tangents: does a little bit of innate human goodness negate a lot of human depravity? Does a little bit of goodness negate a little bit of depravity? Does a lot of goodness negate a little bit of depravity? Does a little bit, or a lot, of innate human goodness negate anything at all? (importantly, what’s your standard of measure as concerns your answers—is it absolute, is it relative). Notwithstanding, does Goodness, even Jesus the Humble, yea, Jesus the great savior God, in fact negate human depravity? Please explain vis-a-vis your standard. If you do not think that humankind is depraved even a little bit, why not? (again, what’s your standard of measure—is it absolute, is it relative).
Pride maybe more than any other reason prevents reconciliation; this likely holds at the personal as well as the cultural-national level (?). Christian friend, are there unconfessed (to God [1Jo 1:9]) and/or unresolved (with God and/or others; unresolved smacks of unrepentance, of which pride may be one factor) sins in your life? Are there broken relationships, even broken Christian relationships in your life that are not being mended because of your pride? Are you of the mindset that says: ‘…let them make the first move, then I’ll do my part, but not before…’ Christian friend, are you the sort of person that feels others should be apologizing to you? If so, and especially if “others” here are brethren, please fix, for Jesus’ sake. Please learn to swallow your pride, and please make sure, always, that it is you who makes the first move, at least for the sake of peace, and ultimately for reconciliation, to the glory of the great Name, the great Family Name that you bear, to the glory of the great Name that has been bestowed upon you (“O, That Name!”). Ever make haste to be reconciled to your Christian sister(s) and brother(s), and certainly to others per se. You can do it if you are willing, because our great God has equipped you to be able to do it. And just think, it will be for you a crown that you can cast at our Lord’s feet one fine day, to His praise and glory! God bless you Christian friend, whom we dearly love and admire and appreciate.
Christian friend, we have used the second person (you) much throughout, but we struggle with pride maybe as much or more than you do (but then maybe you do not—a heartfelt ‘good for you!’, and praise God). It slithers in and makes itself manifest in our life more than we really care to admit, in the most unsuspecting ways, and always at opportune times; but as you know beloved Christian friend, admit (and confess) it we must, otherwise God cannot heal us. And we take full responsibility for this odious offense toward our God—we know full well that He loathes pride. We have often wondered about that, how He hates pride that is, and you know it must have a lot to do with the fact that it breeds so much Sin, which Sin is so terribly destructive to humankind, not to mention the distance it puts between Him a holy God and us—and that is not least what He really hates probably—that distance, because He loves us so very much. He died on a cross for us to bridge that distance. The Sin that He bore, ours, while on that cross, no doubt had a whole lot of pride at its root.
Dearest Christian friend, we are going to end our discussion of this scenario now, and apologize for leaving so much out—there is so much more that could and should be addressed. Still, it was nice to do this in a scenario format—it’s so hard sometimes in a theological study format to express the sort of “people things” that we live every day as we walk tethered to the One, even Jesus, whom we love so very much. We just want you to know that we are praying for you in your own struggles with pride, and kindly ask that you pray for us if there happens to be a vacancy on your prayer list. We do love you, and are so thrilled and grateful that you are saved; so thrilled and grateful that together we belong to the Family of Father God Jehovah, and cannot wait to meet you one fine day. We’ll have an eternity to talk then; to talk these matters through thoroughly, what, Jesus, and you, and I, amen?! God bless you dearest Christian friend.