Why do you think that God considers pride to be a deadly sin? After all, having pride in something or being proud of someone or something on its surface is not necessarily a sin. You can have pride in your family heritage or maybe in getting a new job. You can be proud for accomplishing a difficult task well and in a timely manner or in being the first in your family to go to college. The examples are, literally, endless.
So….. what makes pride so deadly? Let’s look at the most basic of definitions, first, before we get into that.
According to Oxford Languages the definitions of pride and proud start out, mostly, the same. One definition that is the same for both is this: “feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction from one’s own achievements”. Oxford Languages also notes that the word pride can be used as a noun or a verb, while the word proud can only be used as an adjective.
Okay…. so why does God say that pride is a deadly sin?
Having pride gives the person a tendency to be arrogant and pride is known to be rooted in deep insecurity or fear. Pride is what may lead people to cause deaths through inaction, the loss of security for others or other more damaging actions to another person or people. Pride causes that person to not see the harm that they may cause, or for that matter, want to admit, either. Pride has a tendency to make a person look in the mirror and only see perfection but none of the flaws or blemishes that come with being human. Overall, having pride seeks ONLY the glory of people (or self) and NOT the glory of God.
On the other hand…..
A person who is proud (while you also have to be careful here as well) is more about having a positive feeling about or towards something. When a person feels proud, then they tend to acknowledge that they might have gained something because of the sacrifice of another person. A perfect example is a soldier who serves his/her country or a parent who chooses to stay home for their children instead of getting a paying job outside the home. There are numerous examples that can be listed here. Being proud acknowledges the path taken and/or given by others but mostly being proud seeks the glory of God FIRST by thanking Him for helping us through our trials then may give the glory to people who have helped us along the way.
Let me give you an example of the difference:
I have pride in having a blog and how it looks but I needed people who prayed to God on my behalf! God heard them and in answering those prayers, it makes me so proud to give God the glory for this blogs very conception. On my own, I would not have had a blog at all! God is the potter, I am the clay (or, think of it this way, He is the author and I am the writer). Each time that I write something, I ask that God gives me the words that He wants me to say. He is speaking to you, through me. That is some powerful stuff and humbling, too!
So, what did I learn from this? I have learned, and am still learning, to humble myself. We all have flaws!! However, if God can love me, sinner that I am, and ask something so huge, from me, then He sees so much more in me that I don’t always see in myself.
What can you gain from this? Think about the things that have happened in your life: good, bad and ugly. Acknowledge where you have taken a different path and think about God’s part in your life. Do you place God on the lower end and only ask for His help in times of need? Remember, He wants to be a part of your life. So don’t let pride keep you from opening that door. Be proud that He loves you, unconditionally!
A Joyful Mission 