Genesis 3:6(NLT) says, “The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.” This is the record of Adam’s and Eve’s sin, and many of us think that this is the first occasion of sin rearing its ugly head, but that’s not so. Sin got its start when satan, once an archangel in God’s Kingdom, tried to put himself above the sovereignty of our One True Living God and attempted a coup against Him. The arrogance and pride of satan happened before Adam and Eve came on the scene. Then, one terrible day, when they were in the Garden of Eden, they were hoodwinked by the enemy’s arrogance, and sadly many of us living today have followed suit.
Pride is a quality of someone that behaves as if they are more important than others. At it’s worst, it is an attitude and mindset of arrogance, and Proverbs 16:18 informs us that pride will ultimately lead to destructive and unsatisfactory results. It doesn’t propel us forward but holds us back.
In our modern way of thinking and speaking, pride also has a positive side, and it’s what many people refer to as ‘good pride’. It’s being especially pleased about the accomplishments of others. For instance, parents are proud of the accomplishments of their children, and we’re also proud of ourselves when we overcome adversity and obstacles to achieve our personal goals. So, the ‘good pride’ can be useful in expressing accolades and favorable feelings that inspire and uplift, but we must be extremely careful with this. It is not uncommon for ‘good pride’ to lead to arrogance, where many individuals begin to feel superior to others, and this is never good.
We all want emotional validation. We want to receive communication from others that reaffirms our worth and value. It motivates us in many ways, but when we depend on the validation of others, we can very easily become a slave to it. Colossians 2:10(NKJV) tells us, “and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” This verse informs us that we are complete in Christ Jesus, and there is nothing that we lack. Before we accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we were incomplete. Ephesians 2:2(NLT) says, “You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.” This is who we used to be, but we shouldn’t let any part of that old nature back into our hearts.
Hebrews 11:6(NLT) says, “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” We must live and operate by faith in order to please God, and faith demands that we trust the completeness in Christ that God has given us. We can’t make ourselves complete and whole. Only God can do this for us, and through His grace He has, but we have no room to boast or feel that we are better than anyone. Jesus Christ said in John 15:5 that apart from him, we can’t do anything, but through him, we are more than conquerors and have victory over every obstacle or adversity the devil sends our way. On our own, we have absolutely nothing to brag about, but in Christ, we can brag all day long about God’s power and strength expressed beautifully through us as we remain obedient to His Word.
In 2Corinthians 12:9(NLT), when the Apostle Paul asked for God’s help three times because someone was causing him serious grief, God told him, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” Paul then said, “So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” We are nothing without God, so when we try to behave as though we deserve all the credit, things will fall apart. The truth is that we are children and we desperately need our Heavenly Father. Pride and arrogance have no room at all in that equation. God is our everything, and we must open our eyes to the greatness of this truth and have total faith in Him.
Proverbs 11:2(ESV) warns, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” Humility is our prize, and it is required for God’s children. We should never be quick to judge or think more of ourselves than God says we ought to. Our privilege and responsibility is to submit to Him in all things, because only He can direct our paths. If we find that we are stuck in life, and nothing seems to be going the way we desire, too much pride may be holding us back. If it is, we must seek our Heavenly Father’s forgiveness, repent and change our minds and hearts according to His Word, and replace pride with more love, humility, and honor for Him. ■
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
“Is Too Much Pride Holding You Back?”, written for Springfield Fellowship © 2024. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.