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The Bible warns us against pride for some very good reasons. However, are we not supposed to be proud of our accomplishments? Are we not supposed to feel good when we do something well?  There is a difference between feeling good about something and pride.  The Bible says a lot about pride because if we let it fester and grow it has immense consequences that impact our lives, our faith, and those around us. 

We use the word proud a lot to congratulate ourselves on our accomplishments.  Parents use it to tell their kids they have done well, and we do the same for ourselves.  Feeling good when we accomplish certain things is not a sin.  It is not a bad thing at all.  However, if we allow those moments to turn into self-worship, we run the risk of turning away from God. 

Pride is the act of giving ourselves credit for something God has done.  Everything we accomplish is done with God, so we also need to give Him credit.  Sure, we can say we’ve done well, but we also need to remind people we couldn’t do it without God.  God reminds us to be humble beings.  

1 Corinthians 4:7 - 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? (NIV) 

Consequences of Pride

Pride can become a pervasive attitude that winds its way around our hearts until arrogance and self-righteousness set in.  It can turn us away from God to where we become defiant and stop listening to His voice.  Satan was the ultimate example of how pride can start off as something small and become something so intense.  He was so proud, and thought so much of himself, that one day Satan decided he was better than God and could rule the universe better than his Father.   

Now think about what happened to Satan.  He ended up being cast out of Heaven because of the choices he made out of pride.  That overinflated sense of self takes us down a dangerous path where we block ourselves off from God.  We can make terrible decisions that not only hurt us but our friends and family. When we become so self-absorbed that all we think about is ourselves, we can end up alone.  

Remember the synonyms of pride:  conceit, arrogance, haughtiness, narcissism.  Are these the ways you want to be remembered?  Are these the things that bring God to others?  Pride brings a whole slew of negativity along with it like gossip, selfishness, and lies.

Overcoming Pride and Arrogance

Pride can be difficult to overcome, especially when we end up surrounded by people telling us how wonderful and able we are.  We are told from a young age to be proud of who we are and what we can do.  We can be confident, but we cannot forget all we are comes from God, and that is where overcoming pride begins: 

Focus on God.  Yes, you can say thank you to those congratulating you and allow yourself to feel good about what you have accomplished, but bring it back to God. Pray about your accomplishments.  If you pray to God about what you have accomplished, it helps remind you that your pride is his pride.  Reaching your goals was Him reaching His goals through you.  Prayer means you are building your relationship with God, which allows you to set pride aside.

Be accountable to others.  Pride results in self-righteousness and selfishness.  When we make ourselves accountable to others, we get called out on our prideful behavior.  They can help us walk away from temptations toward becoming self-involved. 

Dear reader, the fact still remains that God hates Pride as revealed to us through the following Bible verses;

Proverbs 11:2 – “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

Proverbs 16:5 – “The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.”

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

Therefore, let us apply the wisdom of God in all we do so as not to end up our lives like Lucifer. Shalom