Proverbs 26:12
“Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”
“Pride” is an overestimation of one’s own ability, wisdom, possessions and importance. C.S.Lewis spoke these words about pride: “For pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense.”
The Bible tells us that pride is an abomination to the Lord. Proverbs 16:5 says “Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished.” Pride is an abomination because it is comparable to idolatry, and God hates idolatry. It is an idolisation of the ability of one’s self, and there are consequences to this. Ultimately, it said that pride is the father of all other sins.
The reason why God hates pride is because of the destruction it brings to a person. Pride means that a person loves independence from God and others so that he or she is not answerable to anyone else. That person is often preoccupied with his self-proclaimed goodness and does not see their sin from which they need saving. Because of this, you cannot bring correction to this person.
Pride gives birth to more tangible sins. Proverbs 21:4 says “A haughty look, a proud heart, And the plowing of the wicked are sin.” It is comparable to someone who ploughs a field to produce crops. Likewise, pride prepares or ploughs the heart to produce other sins. Just as ploughing comes before the earth produces fruit, similarly pride comes before producing other sins in your life.
Isaiah 14:12-14 tells us that Satan’s pride led him to rebel against God. The same pride indwells those who sin, and it leads to division, anger, and disputes with one another. Those who are full of pride are called children of Satan. Job 41:34 says “He beholds every high thing; He is king over all the children of pride.”
You can see the destructive power of pride. So take time to examine yourself and instead, put on humbleness. God loves and blesses the humble. When you have a humble heart, then God will save you, God will guide you and teach you, God will give you His grace, God will provide you with wisdom, and He will lift you in your time of need.
By doing so, you will be a child of God. 1 John 3:10 says “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest; whoever does not practise righteousness is not of God; nor is he who does not love his brother.” Allow God to have rulership over your life, completely. A person of pride says “let my will be done”, whereas, the humble cries out to God saying, “let your will be done”.
God bless.
