By Coach Ron Wolforth –
Pride (superbia), also known as hubris (from Ancient Greek, ὕβρις) or futility. It is considered the original and worst of the seven deadly sins on almost every list, the most demonic. It is also thought to be the source of the other capital sins.
Proverbs 16:18-19 – Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.
Proverbs 16:5 – Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.
Proverbs 18:12 – Before destruction, a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.
1 John 2:16 – For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
Dear fellow flawed human beings:
This message isn’t so much a message from me to you as it is a message from me to myself that I’m sharing with you. In a way, I’m just cc’ing you in this otherwise private correspondence with myself.
Please, make no mistake. I am not preaching at you here. I have struggled with this specific topic for many years now… 64 years, in fact. I have no answers, just questions and thoughts.
Over these 64 years, I’ve often thought:
Isn’t pride in your work important? Aren’t self-esteem, self-worth, and self-actualization something we should aspire toward and critical for achievement and advancement?
Aren’t we also told in Scripture to “Run our race to win”?
Yet we are constantly reminded that pride, the original sin of Satan, is the very worst and most harmful of ALL the seven deadly sins.
And boy, don’t we see an absolutely incredible abundance of narcissism, vanity, self-love, self-admiration, self-adulation, self-absorption, self-obsession, conceit, self-centeredness, self-regard, and egomania in the world today? (Especially in professional sports.)
It’s everywhere. It’s ugly. It’s destructive.
So, how do I try to square “pride” with self-esteem and self-reliance?
How can I personally thread the needle between self-actualization and servant leadership?
Answer: It’s not easy. In fact, it’s really, really tough. I believe it takes constant care, awareness, diligence, discernment, and prayer. The good news is I’m convinced the Lord is not finished with me yet. I am still growing. I don’t have to be perfect; my intentions just need to be clear.
Whenever the world tries to beat me up, to point out my weaknesses, foibles, shortcomings, and/or inadequacies…
- I remind myself that I’m fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).
- I remind myself that true humility is not thinking less of myself but of myself less.
- I remind myself that who I am is a magnificent design produced by my Creator, my family, my friends, my teachers, and every blessing and obstacle.
I also remind myself of these:
- Genesis 1:27 – I Am Created in God’s Image
- Isaiah 43:4 – I Am Precious and Honored
- Luke 12:7 – Every One of My Hairs Is Numbered
- Jeremiah 29:11 – Plans for Hope and a Future For Me
- Ephesians 2:10 – I Am God’s Handiwork
- Zephaniah 3:17 – I Am the Lord’s Delight
- Isaiah 43:1-2 – He Calls Me by Name
And finally, I remind myself constantly that it is simply impossible to bless others without yourself being blessed in return.
These are my basic road maps:
Matthew 5:16 – In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 7:12 – So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Bottom line: I am imperfect and fail at this way too often. Pride seems to seep out constantly along my edges, and it always seems to either diminish me or set me up for tribulation.
Many voices constantly tell me how good I am… how I am superior, special, and elite. Yet another voice… thankfully getting stronger by the year… tells me to reject these contemporary, modern, fashionable rewards and tributes. They are hollow, diminish me, and do not come from my Father.
Instead, I must seek to be a person of value… merit… principle, and someone who is called to serve his neighbor.
When I do this, I simply… almost innocently… put myself in places where pride is irrelevant. Pride has no hold over me. I am simply busy being my best self.
It is my hope that you may get just a small lesson from my self-conversation.
Until next time,
Stay curious and keep fighting the good fight!
Coach Wolforth
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