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Is all pride in oneself a sin? Mark 7:21-22 says, “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, PRIDE, foolishness.” Yet we also have Psalms 139:14 which says, “I praise you [Lord], for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” If pride is seen as boasting, is the speaker not boasting of himself?
Perhaps there is a difference. It seems to be OK to boast to God of how God has made us. That may be one thing. On the other hand, the pride that Mark 7:21-22 seems to be referring to is the pride that one might share with others, perhaps in the form of boasting. Boasting may be a function of the truth, but it also may be a function of falsehood, or at least of unsubstantiated assertions. This type of pride can be divisive. In the face of Lord Jesus’ commandment to love your neighbor, it is hard to do if you’re focused on yourself. We see that in certain leaders who, in their love of themselves has no regard for those he is called upon to look after, as one who would look after members of their household. And when one is in a position to lead a nation, the whole nation becomes his household. Does the Bible not tell us to provide for our households?
The Bible tells us that in loving others, it is better to show humility. Humility essentially is not focusing on oneself, but instead on others. Humility may also include deferring to others when you know your limitations. For those who love God and eachother, humility is not a weakness; it can be a means of knowing other people. A person who appears to be humble may actually be a still water that runs deep, with a powerful reserve.
You may be deceiving yourself if you think a person who acts out of humility has no power. Proverbs 22:4 says, “The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.” A person who is humble is in a better position to obtain wisdom. Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” That’s because a person who is humbles, and therefore focuses on others instead of himself is in a better position to learn from others than one who haughtily focuses on himself. A person focused on himself will never learn from others, nor will he defer to others more knowledgeable than he is. Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”
What about taking pride in one’s work? Is that kind of pride a sin? Pride can be divisive if others see you as such. And dividing people is not a form of loving others, but instead causes strife. But if the pride is genuine and you keep it to yourself, as in having an inward sense of pride in what you do, it acts as a boost in your self-esteem.
Is it ever good to boast? It is, if you are expected to boast and what you boast about comes from the truth. It is good to boast as such, if you are applying for a job, a political office, or to lead the nation, and such boasting is truthful and founded on the facts instead of on lies. Lying is being deceitful, so how can you say you love others if you deceive them? Where is the love?
Humility is not a weakness. It is a state of mind by which you gather information from others, and under God the information learned is used in loving others. When you see yourself as the be all and end all of everything, a matter of false pride, you learn nothing from others and so you are no closer to loving others. If you see everything as being about you, then people who love God and eachother will eventually walk away.
Perhaps there is a difference. It seems to be OK to boast to God of how God has made us. That may be one thing. On the other hand, the pride that Mark 7:21-22 seems to be referring to is the pride that one might share with others, perhaps in the form of boasting. Boasting may be a function of the truth, but it also may be a function of falsehood, or at least of unsubstantiated assertions. This type of pride can be divisive. In the face of Lord Jesus’ commandment to love your neighbor, it is hard to do if you’re focused on yourself. We see that in certain leaders who, in their love of themselves has no regard for those he is called upon to look after, as one who would look after members of their household. And when one is in a position to lead a nation, the whole nation becomes his household. Does the Bible not tell us to provide for our households?
The Bible tells us that in loving others, it is better to show humility. Humility essentially is not focusing on oneself, but instead on others. Humility may also include deferring to others when you know your limitations. For those who love God and eachother, humility is not a weakness; it can be a means of knowing other people. A person who appears to be humble may actually be a still water that runs deep, with a powerful reserve.
You may be deceiving yourself if you think a person who acts out of humility has no power. Proverbs 22:4 says, “The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.” A person who is humble is in a better position to obtain wisdom. Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” That’s because a person who is humbles, and therefore focuses on others instead of himself is in a better position to learn from others than one who haughtily focuses on himself. A person focused on himself will never learn from others, nor will he defer to others more knowledgeable than he is. Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”
What about taking pride in one’s work? Is that kind of pride a sin? Pride can be divisive if others see you as such. And dividing people is not a form of loving others, but instead causes strife. But if the pride is genuine and you keep it to yourself, as in having an inward sense of pride in what you do, it acts as a boost in your self-esteem.
Is it ever good to boast? It is, if you are expected to boast and what you boast about comes from the truth. It is good to boast as such, if you are applying for a job, a political office, or to lead the nation, and such boasting is truthful and founded on the facts instead of on lies. Lying is being deceitful, so how can you say you love others if you deceive them? Where is the love?
Humility is not a weakness. It is a state of mind by which you gather information from others, and under God the information learned is used in loving others. When you see yourself as the be all and end all of everything, a matter of false pride, you learn nothing from others and so you are no closer to loving others. If you see everything as being about you, then people who love God and eachother will eventually walk away.
