PRIDE

"When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom" (Proverbs 11:2).
 

The Bible uses five different words to convey the idea of pride and arrogance. I bet that, like me, you have lived out every one of them...lol.
 

Here are the five meanings:
 

#1--Puffed up. To wrap in mist or to raise smoke. An early morning fog covers everything and looks immense, but it really only contains a very small amount of water.

#2--Inflated estimate of self. To look down on others. We can easily deceive ourselves into believing that we are more than we really are.

#3--Empty presumptive trust in the untrustworthy.

#4--A swelling of the sea.

#5--Presumption.
 

Now to be clear, God would have us not live out any of these definitions. Augustine said, "It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels." Our pride does not accomplish the will of God--rather, it puts us on a collision course with God. It is humility that places us in a position to receive God's rescue and blessing.
 

Let's keep an eye on our attitudes today and as often as possible, let's move from pride to humility.

PRIDE

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything, all pride, all fear of failure--these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important" --Steve Jobs
 

"About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill. He prayed to the Lord, who healed him and gave him a miraculous sign. But Hezekiah did not respond appropriately to the kindness shown him, and he became proud. So the Lord's anger came against him and against Judah and Jerusalem. Then Hezekiah humbled himself and repented of his pride, as did the people of Jerusalem. So the Lord's anger did not fall on them during Hezekiah's lifetime" (2 Chronicles 32:24-26).
 

No doubt about it, pride is a game-changer, not unlike death. I've experienced two catastrophic failures in my life, where God reached in crushed my pride. Through these experiences I've learned that my plans usually lead to death (crushing humility) and God's plans lead to life (fulfillment). The Bible promises, "Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you" (James 4:10). 
 

As we begin a new day and a new week, let me suggest that we all look for ways to humble ourselves--to think of others as better than ourselves. Let's allow, as Steve Jobs discovered, "all pride, all fear of failure" to just fall away. When you're tempted today to "exalt yourself", just let it go...