Pride Comes Before Destruction

The common picture we may have of a proud person is someone who refuses to greet others, loves to flaunt wealth, or boasts about life’s achievements. A person like this looks down on others who are not on the same “level,” and only associates with certain groups or with those who have equal economic and social status.

In your heart, perhaps you are grateful: it turns out you are far from being proud. But hold your excitement for a moment, because we are going to look more deeply at pride according to God’s Word. What is included in the sin of pride? And how does God view arrogance?

Pride: Detestable to the Lord

These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood… – Proverbs 6:16-17a

Though the LORD is exalted, He looks on the lowly, but He knows the proud from afar. – Psalm 138:6

Of the many things the Lord hates, the first on the list is haughty eyes. God knows and can immediately recognize people who are proud. Proverbs 8:12-13 says that one of the things opposed to wisdom is pride and arrogance. The chief enemy of wisdom is pride (Proverbs 11:2). Arrogance makes us unwise in thinking and acting.

Pride is poison to the soul and the mind. Pride also makes us find it hard to love and forgive others. We feel the most right, the most important, the smartest, the greatest, and the foremost. Pride blinds our hearts to our own faults and makes us forget to acknowledge that God and His Word are yes and amen.

I used to think that I was humble because I had low self-esteem. So, it was impossible for me to be proud, right? Yet when I entered a Bible study on pride, I came to realize that low self-esteem is included in the category of pride!

My low self-esteem came from a fear: I did not want to appear incapable or incompetent, and I did not want to be looked down on. In other words, I was not being my true self as I was. I always wanted to look good, rejected correction, and did not want my weaknesses exposed. What things are included in pride or arrogance?

• Insecurity
• Not being open
• Finding it hard to apologize
• Not wanting to forgive
• Being reluctant to say thank you
• Refusing advice / correction
• Refusing input
• Wanting to look good / impressive
• Not wanting to be looked down on
• Wanting to be valued / respected
• Feeling the most knowledgeable and the most right
• Being judgmental

Whatever form your pride takes, whether visible or hidden from outward view, all of it is detestable to God. Therefore, cast away every form of pride so that our lives may be more effective and used for His glory.

Feeling Worthy but Forgetting to Make Yourself Worthy

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. – Proverbs 16:18

Pride goes before destruction, but humility comes before honor. – Proverbs 18:12

Pride brings a person low, but the humble in spirit receive honor. – Proverbs 29:23

King Uzziah, who ruled Judah during 791-739 BC, was at first a leader who feared God (2 Chronicles 26:4-5). Under his rule, the people of Judah enjoyed a time of prosperity, with strong livestock, agriculture, and military sectors (2 Chronicles 26:1-15). Sadly, after his name became great, Uzziah became proud. He presumptuously burned incense on the altar in the temple of God, a ritual that only the priests were allowed to perform.

Power and strength made Uzziah feel entitled to violate God’s command. When he was rebuked by Azariah the priest and eighty other priests, instead of admitting his wrongdoing and asking forgiveness, Uzziah became angry. As a result, he was struck with leprosy and lived in isolation until the end of his life (2 Chronicles 2:19-21).

It is never recorded in the Bible that proud people succeeded and lived happily. Pride became the beginning of their ruin: King Saul, King Solomon, Haman, King Nebuchadnezzar, King Herod, because God opposes the proud.

The pride of man will be humbled, and human arrogance brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. – Isaiah 2:17

Do you often feel worthy of appreciation, worthy of praise, worthy to be angry, hurt, or resentful? Do you feel entitled to all of that because you have done many good things for someone or for God? King Uzziah thought he was doing something good by offering a sacrifice. He forgot that what matters to God is how he carried out His command (1 Samuel 15:22).

Remember, more than the things you do, God cares more about your humility in listening to His voice and carrying out His commands.

How to Let Go of the Sin of Pride

1. Focus on Your Own Sin, Not Other People’s Sins

Learn to accept your faults, and pay attention to your own sin rather than other people’s mistakes and sins (Psalm 51:4). When you are busy pointing out other people’s faults, you cannot see your own. As a result, it becomes hard for you to apologize. You will always blame others for what happens in your life instead of taking responsibility for yourself.

Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the plank in your own eye? – Matthew 7:3

2. Ask: “Whom Do I Want to Please?”

A humble person will focus on what pleases the heart of God and their fellow believers. You no longer think about your own interests, pleasures, and good. Instead, you think about the interests of others, and the things that are pleasing to God (Philippians 2:2-4).

… in humility count others more significant than yourselves; let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. – Philippians 2:3b-4 

3. Ask: “Whom Do I Want to Serve?”

In life, you do not serve yourself alone. You serve God and others, and in that way, it is God who will honor you, not man.

Whoever serves Me must follow Me, and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. – John 12:26

4. Learn to Admit Wrong and Apologize

Admit your mistakes and apologize if you do wrong. Apologizing will not lower a person’s dignity or weaken their position, but instead shows greatness and humility that are pleasing to God.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us all our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9

5. Be Humble: Face Reality and Obey the Word

Do not get busy making excuses and arguing just to preserve your pride. You will gain nothing except even more confusion and a life without peace.

Therefore humble yourselves under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. – 1 Peter 5:6

Besides the five things mentioned above, of course there are still many other ways to overcome the sin of pride. Let us cast away pride so that God may lift us up and our lives may end happily according to His plan. Amen! - Church GKDI is currently present in 35 cities. We have Bible Study activities in every area. If you need information or would like to get involved, contact us at contact Church GKDI Official: WhatsApp 0821 2285 8686 or Facebook / Instagram GKDI Official

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