Pride vs Humility

Scripture: Proverbs 16:18-19 (ESV)

¹⁸          Pride goes before destruction,

and a haughty spirit before a fall.

            ¹⁹          It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor

than to divide the spoil with the proud.

 

Devotion:

            The meaning of the word pride has changed dramatically in our present age. To the author of the book of Proverbs, pride was a sin. Today, pride is almost always used in a positive sense. What has changed and why? The answer can be found in today’s pair of proverbs. The usage in verse 18 is purely negative. The opposite of pride is “lowly spirit,” which is found in verse 19. This pair of proverbs not only defines pride but also underscores the importance of humility in the Christian faith.

            Today, our culture affirms pride as a positive good. We are told to have pride in almost everything we say or do. We take pride in our schools, our work, our sexuality. Everything we do can be a source of pride for the modern person. Why is the Bible so critical of pride, then? The answer is found by closely examining the two verses above.

            In our modern society, we live for our feelings. One of the slogans of our time is, “If it feels good, do it.” We seldom consider the effects of our actions. We live to feel good in the moment, as if nothing and no one else matters. The Bible’s take on pride is oriented toward the results of our momentary feeling of pride. It points to the ultimate results of living a life consumed with present pleasures without regard for future consequences.

            The Bible speaks to us of the end result of pride, which it calls “a fall.” We are always ultimately tripped up by our pride. Even though the results may not be immediate, they always follow the action. Adam and Eve in the garden may have taken momentary pride in their choice to eat the forbidden fruit, but the fruit of their choice ruined them and all of humanity since.

            Verse 19 gives the counter-example. The lowly spirit, the spirit of humility, is better than the prideful spirit. Pride hurts others, and humility thinks of others before itself. In the long run, we will be better off walking in humility than pride. If you are prideful, you may get a short-term gain, but there will always be a long-term loss. If you are humble, however, you will be rewarded.

Prayer:

            Heavenly Father, teach us to walk in humility. Lord, teach us that a humble spirit will always work out better for us. May we humbly seek to live as Christ-followers, loving you, O God, and our neighbors. If we boast, may we only boast of our great God and not our accomplishments. Glory to God alone, not to us. Amen.