The Problem With Pride

TERRY MIRRA

As I sat in Bible study one evening, the discussion came around to the popular “it’s all about me” T-shirts, and how Christians shouldn’t encourage their children to wear such egocentric slogans. One woman turned beet-red and finally admitted that her daughter had such a shirt. After much embarrassment, we all had a good laugh. It’s an apparently harmless mantra, but it appears to be a barometer of our society’s paradigm.

Along with this mantra comes a feeling of entitlement. Our culture embraces this concept and promotes it wholeheartedly within the advertising industry, encouraging consumers to give in to their right to be exempt from “common and average”. Because we’re human, this type of superior thinking permeates the religious arena with much enthusiasm. It’s popular to have a special brand of Christianity based on the unique view each sect holds, often authenticated by a particular “prophet”, “apostle”, or enlightened messenger. These unique characteristics allow members to be special in some way and create a perfect breeding ground for pride. 

If pride is subjective, then it holds no authority

The definition of pride is “a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority; conceit; arrogance.” (Webster’s College Dictionary, 2000 edition). The word “opinion” is operative here, for it eliminates objectivity. If pride is subjective, then it holds no authority. The unchanging principles of God’s Word should be the standard by which we operate, not our personal thoughts and feelings (Isaiah 5:20, 21). 

Pride can stem from insecurity as well as from beliefs of superiority. When we judge ourselves by human standards, we often fall short and need a façade behind which to hide. Most of us have embellished something to increase our “cool” factor (as in the classic story of a fisherman exaggerating the size of the fish he has caught so that he can impress people). In looking back at times I felt inadequate in some way, those were moments I would grasp for something that would make me stand out, to be noticed. No one wants to feel that they are average—that they blend in. By emphasizing our individuality (for instance, accomplishments that make us unique or special in some way, unusual ethnic heritage, advanced vocational training or an elite religious system), we attempt to increase our societal worth. We feel somewhat elevated—a bit above the masses. Our emptiness is temporarily eclipsed as we seek our worth from these empty kudos because we don’t see that our identity is in Christ alone, in who we are in Him, and in what He has done in our place (Eph. 2:4-7). 

When we are enticed by the lie that we are superior, we tread on dangerous ground.

When we are enticed by the lie that we are superior, we tread on dangerous ground. This was the same road traveled by a famous angel long ago—a road that led to his destruction. It was pride that ushered in original sin and caused Satan to fall. I believe this is the reason that God is so pointed in His Word on this subject. Isaiah 14:12-14 gives us a rare glimpse into the history of Satan. In verse 14 he states, “I will make myself like the Most High”. The consequence: “but you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit”. Another peek is given in Ezekiel 28:13-19. While the immediate/local application is to the King of Tyre, it appears to be reaching further back to a fallen angel—the power behind the King of Tyre. “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom on account of your splendor. So I threw you down to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.” (vs. 17)

Elite revelation

As a child, I remember being told that I was fortunate because I had the real truth. I remember feeling extra special because of this elite revelation our denomination had—those “other people” just didn’t get it. Of course God loved them, too, but we were distinctive. We would be tested in the end according to our specific knowledge. This belief is pride, pure and simple. It blinded us to our own hypocrisy. We were so busy focusing on how we were superior (in theology and actions) that we missed the whole point: righteousness is not about the specific action but about the condition of the heart—the motive behind the action. It’s like the cart before the horse—if the horse is pulling effectively, the cart will automatically follow. With pride, one’s attitude toward God is, “I’m awesome!” With humility, it’s “I’m yours!”. If we love the Lord and yearn to do His will, our actions will not contradict themselves (Matt. 22:36-40).

When we lack for nothing, we have a false sense of security and self-reliance.

When we lack for nothing, we have a false sense of security and self-reliance. Because it appears we’re not depending on God for daily needs (as the Israelites did wandering in the desert), we often assume we don’t need Him. How many of us feel invincible when things are going well? Our first response is often to utter something like, “What a great job I’ve done!” It’s extremely easy to fall into this category of self-reliance when we have monetary wealth, for it represents power and success. People who are rich in intelligence and talent may fall prey to the same problem (Luke 18:24-27) and find it hard to admit that they cannot save themselves. When things are going well financially, it’s all too easy to forget where the blessings originated and to think success is of our own volition. While God gives us our talents and abilities to use in this world, they may create a barrier to our relationship and dependence on Him if we make them our identity instead of making Him our identity.

The story of Job is especially appropriate. At first glance this story doesn’t appear to be an example of God’s dealing with pride, but upon closer examination, a story emerges that has significant relevance to the subtle pride we all deal with. We think of Job as righteous rather than prideful. The Bible says he was blameless and upright (Job 1:1, 8). Job doesn’t sin by blaming or cursing God, but he eventually falls victim to his own self-pity. In defending himself against his friends (who tell him he is to blame for his misfortunes), he reiterates how “good” and innocent he really is. When the Lord speaks (Chapter 38), His message is, “Who do you think you really are?” Job finally understands, realizing his unworthiness (Job 40:3-5). The central value of the story is not Job but God. Justice and mercy are all about His sovereignty and will, outside of anything we do. When Job officially replies to the Lord (Chapter 42), his eyes are opened to the reality of who he is, and we see his humility. He repents. 

We feel that if we are “good”, we are somehow better.

The lesson of Job is applicable to every one of us. We feel that if we are “good”, we are somehow better. This flawed reasoning only stands if we believe that we earn brownie points for our behavior. The story of Job points out that God is sovereign. Period. We don’t earn His favor, and our earthly rewards don’t always seem fair. His ways are not our ways—He can see a perspective that we can’t. Our job is to have faith (faith expressing itself through love; Gal. 5:6) and trust that He will do what is right for our lives. When we are vulnerable in trusting God completely, the wind is knocked out of pride. I’ve found that the more exposed I am to God, the closer my relationship becomes. He already knows everything about me, and trying to pretend with Him is futile—it’s merely self-deception. Pride is so insidious when we feel we’re doing all the right things; we think we’re entitled to God’s blessings because of our performance. When we add to God’s grace, it is no longer grace, but wages (Rom. 4:4, 5). “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23).

The Old Testament is riddled with stories that illustrate the creative ways God dealt with pride. Jonah was swallowed by a great fish when his pride caused him to disobey God and run away from his assigned task (Jonah 1 and 2). King Nebuchadnezzar was stricken with insanity because he failed to acknowledge God’s glory and sovereignty over the kingdoms of men (Dan. 4:24-37). Belshazzar was slain because of his arrogance and blatant blasphemy toward God (Dan. 5). God rejected Saul because of disobedience and arrogance (1 Sam. 15:22, 23). Obadiah 2-4 reiterates Proverbs 16:18: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Although Obadiah’s prophecy was originally intended for the Edomites (the descendents of Esau) for their violence against Israel, the message can be applied to everyone: no matter what power or success we seem to have, in the end, we are not in control. God is. Our agenda is not always part of God’s plan. Romans 9:16 states, “It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy”. Reality is the big picture from God’s perspective and involves how we fit into it—how we can be a part of something much bigger than ourselves, yet be transformed in the process. The purpose of our lives is Christ working in and through us; we need to examine our motives constantly. Are our actions for our own glorification or for the uplifting of God’s kingdom?

Philosophical rationalizations

Throughout history, man has made many attempts to eliminate (or change) God and His Word. These philosophies are intellectual rationalizations that inflate man’s sense of importance in the universe. They diminish God’s role as sole giver and redeemer of life. They serve to quiet man’s conscience and increase pride in his own abilities. Listed below are several examples:

Evolution: This worldview does away with God’s work of creation altogether. Some would rather believe in evolution (or randomness) than to submit to a higher authority. One may thus remain his own god and creator of his own destiny. There’s no need to be accountable to anyone. Romans 1:18-20, however, states, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” In 2 Peter 3:5-7, we see a similar theme: “But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” (emphasis added).

Liberalism: This philosophy includes denying the inerrancy of God’s Word; if there’s a chance Scripture is fallible, our responsibility to a sovereign Creator is negated. Disbelieving the Bible’s reliability includes downgrading the godly inspiration of biblical prophets. Watering down the efficacy of God’s true prophets, however, does not build up the credibility of questionable ones (2 Cor. 11:4-6). By creating doubt in God’s Word, we attempt to rationalize our behavior and do what’s right in our own eyes. We allow our own skewed thoughts and opinions to become “truth” because we feel they are so, not because they are based on absolute truth. In this way, we don’t have to face our own faults and be subservient to the Lord. His presence in our lives makes us see our true selves—who we really are in relationship to Him. (Rom. 3:22-24).

Mysticism: This interpretation of life denies a need for Christ. It claims insight into mysteries transcending ordinary human knowledge as by direct communication with the divine or by immediate intuition in a state of spiritual ecstasy; of occult character or significance (Webster’s College Dictionary, 2000 edition). This promise of special knowledge was one of the original lies told to Eve in the Garden of Eden, “…your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen. 3:5). It encourages the mysterious and self-absorbed. It’s a very attractive route when the ego wants to be stroked, because it’s all about me, how spiritual I’m becoming, and reaching the pinnacle of self-enlightenment; spiritual nirvana. This is in direct contradiction to the Word of God regarding how we become righteous and are saved. (John 14:6, 1 John 5:13, Acts 4:12).

Legalism: Our inflated sense of self insults Christ’s deity. Instead of admitting that our only escape from death is the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, we strive to “do” something to ensure our salvation. What often appears to be obedience is really concealed pride, because it’s about elevating our own status based on our performance—a checklist to complete towards perfection. Whether it’s dietary restrictions, worshiping on a certain day, or just trying to “do good deeds”, the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 illustrates (and foreshadows) that our attempts to cover ourselves are futile (vs. 7). Anything we do for the Lord is to be born out of love for Him, not an attempt to solidify our salvation. It was necessary for God to cover Adam and Eve with skins—the shedding of innocent blood from the first sacrifice (vs. 21). 

Hitting bottom

I’ll never forget an experience I had while sitting in the mother’s room one Sabbath. A few kids were playing in the room while the pastor’s sermon was piped in through the speakers—nothing out of the ordinary. As I sat there, I thought about the conversation I might have with my children in the years to come. I tried to envision the explanation I would give them about my denominational views and how those views would translate into their everyday lives. I was terrified by what I felt—there was no peace or consistency in my imagined conversation, only rules and regulations that could be interpreted many different ways depending on the “school of thought”, or the particular “brand” of legalism adopted by my particular congregation. While my religion had been fairly positive, it had created more confusion about what was real than it had resolved. I wanted to have clarity in presenting the Lord to my children, but I didn’t have a clue as to how to do it. I distinctly remember thinking, “This must be as good as it gets—this relationship with Jesus.” It was devastating. The emptiness and loneliness had never been greater. My views contained a conglomeration of a few memorized Bible verses, a lot of Ellen G. White quotes, and some scriptural sections taken out of context to support Mrs. White’s theological concepts. These fragments, all interwoven, had become some sort of a theological anomaly with a life of its own. As a small amount of yeast affects the whole batch of dough, many inconsistencies and errors infiltrated the Biblical truths I knew.

It became obvious to me that something was very wrong. While it took some time for me to understand what God was trying to reveal, I knew that this was not the legacy I wanted for my children. Maintaining any kind of pride in what I did (and who I thought I was) was perpetuating a hybrid faith; trying to mesh Old Testament performance with New Testament grace. It’s like mixing oil and water; it doesn’t happen. The Old Testament points to the New Testament—a superior covenant ushered in by Jesus Christ, making the old covenant obsolete (Heb. 8:6-13). While it’s hard to give up control (works) and superiority (elite truth), it’s mandatory if one is to accept the complete work and saving grace of our Lord Jesus. Shedding the hollow exterior of Adventism in exchange for a real, unadulterated relationship with Christ has been exhilarating and liberating. 

Combined with this diluted theology was an emphasis on performance superiority…looking good on the outside and “doing the right thing”. I realized that this concern with performance was like listening to a bad politician for years…always skirting about the issue, and never making any headway with what really matters. The pride it takes to avoid looking solely to the Word of God is huge. I see it as analogous to telling a lie. As time goes on, and the lie begets more lies, it becomes extremely convoluted. It becomes an intellectual pursuit. A person now has to come up with more complicated theories to explain the last ones. Pretty soon she can’t even remember what the original story was. In defending her need to be right, she’s arrived at a place that is neither peaceful nor truthful. Avoidance doesn’t alter reality. How much easier would it be to start with the Bible alone and allow the rest to fall by the wayside—to shed the pride and find Christ alone?

Identity in Christ

For me, the key to abandoning pride is to grasp fully who we are in Christ (righteous) and who we are without Him (condemned). Pride leads to death, because it won’t allow one to accept grace. Christ alone + nothing = grace. There is no place for pride (Rom. 5:15-19). Grace is the death of, and rebuttal to, man’s pride (Eph.2:6-9). Our whole connection with Christ is about relationship, not performance. No “enhancement” of God’s Word is valid—it’s blasphemy (Rev. 22:18, 19). Any religious system that fosters pride and superiority in its unique knowledge of “truth” is a dangerous deception; it plays on the carnal desire to be special. Pride reacts with anger when confronted with truth, for there is fear of being wrong. It has to become more important to find truth than to be right, for truth leads to peace and consistency in the knowledge of who our Lord is.

Christ’s example was always one of humility. Being lowly was key—He was the great equalizer.

Christ’s example was always one of humility. Being lowly was key—He was the great equalizer. From the very beginning, His surroundings were meager and unimpressive by earthly standards. The woman chosen to be His mother was one of humble status, yet she found favor with God (Luke 1:30). Throughout His ministry, Jesus repeatedly made the point that the first will be last, and the last will be first (Matt. 19:30, Matt. 20:16, Mark 9:35, Luke 18:14b). Children were used to symbolize the unpretentious spirit required to inherit the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:3, 4; Luke 9:48), for they signify the weak and powerless. Jesus would knowingly shake up the status quo by associating with the dejected and unsavory (Rom. 12:16). Not only did Christ associate with them but reminded His disciples that whoever wants to become great needs to be a servant, and whoever wants to be first must become a slave. In the same vein, He came to be a blessing to others, not to receive blessings. Christ’s life was anything but “it’s all about me”. “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:28)

Jesus came to shatter preconceived ideas about greatness—for the way He entered this world, lived His life, and departed (crucified as a common criminal) left little doubt as to the priorities of His kingdom. The riches and status of this world are meaningless, and its currency holds no value (Matt. 6:19-21). As Christians, it’s our privilege to model Christ’s example. As imperfect humans, this modeling requires moment-by-moment submission to Him. By focusing on those things that are worthy of our attention, the temporary and superficial things of this earth fade in significance. The need to be special, outside of Christ, is no longer important, because the peace we obtain from Him is sufficient. 

It’s not about me—it’s all about being hidden with Christ…

1 Cor. 1:27-31 states: “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.’ (Jer. 9:24)”.

It’s not about me—it’s all about being hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:3) and letting Him make me an instrument for His glory. †

—Republished from Proclamation! Magazine, Sept./Oct. 2007.

Terry Mirra lives in Highland, California, with her husband Paul and daughters Megan, Amy, and Autumn. She graduated from Newbury Park Adventist Academy and then earned a B.S. degree in nursing from Loma Linda University. She and her husband left Adventism in 2004 after growing up in the denomination. They now attend Trinity Church in Redlands, California, and praise God for their freedom in Christ.