Proverbs 16:5
"Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
assuredly, he will not be unpunished"
The proverb in the original Hebrew starts: Abominable to the Lord is the person who is proud in their heart. The emphasis is on how terrible this issue of pride is.
We do not think of pride in our day as that big of a thing. In fact, in many cases we like the idea of pride and think it is good.
The word pride is the Hebrew word gaboah which means high, exalted, superior, higher. The idea is that people see themselves and act in a way as to suggest that they are higher, better, or superior to another person.
Our culture is full of this thinking: My errand is more important than yours, so I should go first in line, in the door, on the freeway... What I am thinking about is more important than what you are saying, so I will listen long enough only to change the subject to what I want to talk about. What I like should be first and central – that is why I do not want to watch a T.V. program that I don't really like. I don't want to go to a show, play, game, event that you like but I don't. My judgment of you is true and right, therefore, I will tell everyone what I think of you.
God says, repeatedly, that pride is a hateful thing. It is very important that we develop humility or we will find ourselves fighting God. We may think it is the Devil, but it will be God going after the pride in our lives.
What would our lives look like if we actually valued the other person as much as we valued ourselves? How would we drive, talk, act, serve, give?
The person who does not repent of pride, the proverb says, will be chastised for this violation of God's basic rule of peace between people. In fact, God says that He will shoot arrows against those who persist in pride. He will be against them.
Even though you may have a position of importance, you are still not better than that person. Do not allow your heart to be lifted up inside, secretly telling yourself that “I am better than others” because of what you have done or who you are, etc.
I read a bumper sticker the other day that summed up this pride: God loves you, but He loves me more!
Don't get caught in this.
Work hard; be everything you can be. But stay humble.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz