The Sin of Pride Reveals Itself in at Least Six Behaviors

Pride is like an intertwined bundle of oak catkins. It punches way above its weight. Its negative impact is far-reaching.

It clogs our lives and makes them repulsive to God and others (James 4:6). The proud cannot detect their skunk-like odor. Everyone else can. Less than an ounce of others’ pride offends us, while we cannot detect tons of our own.

We cannot see it, but if we are alive, we can assume we have a liver. If we are alive, pride is a problem, even if we cannot see it. Here are six pride-revealing behaviors:

1.     Without confidence in Christ’s enabling sufficiency (Philippians 4:13), pride tries to prove worthiness through personal accomplishments.

2.     Pride confuses personal accomplishments with value. Everyone is already valuable to God (Matthew 6:26).

3.     Pride builds self-esteem on some personal definition of success that is not God-honoring or God-centered. It reacts fearfully and angrily when others attack that “success.” It defensively resists confessing mistakes or apologizing. That jeopardizes the possibility of forgiveness (1 John 1:9).

4.     Pride compares itself with others. It puts them down instead of valuing them more than self (Philippians 2:3-4). It tries to dominate them. It treats them as enemies instead of loving them (Matthew 22:37-39). It compulsively tries to do things better than others and takes all the credit for “successes” (2 Chronicles 32:25).

5.     Pride makes mountains of the molehills of personal achievements. These “accomplishments” are unconnected to God’s agenda for life (Ephesians 2:10). They amount to nothing because we do not perform them depending on Jesus’ strength (John 15:5) for God’s glory (Matthew 5:16) to bear spiritual fruit that will last (John 15:16).

6.     Proud people try to control others, assuming their superiority and unique ability to do things “right.” Jesus came to serve and make sacrifices for others (Matthew 20:28).

I can recall times in my life that illustrate all six points. How can we surgically remove pride daily to prevent its relationship-battering effects? We must see life realistically, not with an unrenewed mind through the blurring glasses of pride (Romans 12:2).

We have never accomplished anything noteworthy without the help of God and others. “For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Corinthians 4:7 NIV).

God’s gifts undergird our accomplishments. He has given us life, unique gifts, and abilities to spend for His glory. We must give Him an account of how we used them.

Not our “accomplishments” but our responsibility to God should be the primary focus of our lives. “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2 NIV).

Gratitude’s audible partner is thanksgiving. Together, they are the drain plug of our pride.

Let us thank God and others daily, gushing with gratitude and thanksgiving.

Let us give God and others the credit they deserve. As we do this as a way of life, pride will not clog our lives and make them a stench to God and others. What is your takeaway?

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God has empowered me to write His Power for Your Weakness—260 Steps Toward Spiritual Strength. It’s a free, evangelistic, devotional, and discipleship e-book. Pastors have used it in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to lead 6,090 people to Christ and teach the basics of Christianity to 15,150 people. I invite you to explore and use it in your setting. 

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