Pride = Destruction

The wisest man to ever live (excluding Jesus) King Solomon wrote the book of Proverbs in the Bible. Let’s look at a related passage from Proverbs. Chapter 16 and verse 7 reads, “Pride goes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before the fall’.

If we are honest with ourselves we can admit that the root cause for various situations when we have become upset or angry originates with feelings of pride. Many clients in Banyan’s faith-based treatment program are dealing with pride as a result of their substance abuse. Perhaps we feel that someone is not respecting our position or perceived authority as it relates to a certain situation. We may think to ourselves, “Who does this person think they are talking to? Why do they feel they can give me instruction in my area of expertise?” Whatever the case may be, if we truly analyze our negative responses to these situations, we'll likely find that pride has possibly played a role. The pride that is being referenced here is the self-righteous or conceited kind of pride. In Proverbs 6:16-19, we find listed the things God hates... guess what number one is? Pride!

I have put this analysis into practice in recent weeks. On many occasions when I became upset with a specific person or situation, I found most outcomes were due to my pride. I am able to relate to our clients in our faith-based treatment program on the feelings experienced in relation to pride. I do not act on anger; however, I still go through the process of the feelings.

When we reflect back on situations that made us angry, it's important to humble ourselves and determine the role we played in the conflict. It will then be easier to move forward.

All of us are a work in progress. Just when we think we have mastered a weakness something else will appear, often times when we least expect it. One of the beautiful things about having an authentic relationship with God is the fact that he never leaves us or forsakes no matter how many times we fall short. Jesus makes this very clear in one of my favorite passages found in Matthew 11:28 NIV “Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest”.

If we take our focus off of ourselves and put it on God, the pride will begin to disappear and that’s good news!