“….Pride is essentially competitive-is competitive by its very nature….Pride gets no pleasure out of something, only out of having more of it than the next man….It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone.” ~C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity
Oh my, do I ever struggle with pride, especially in making comparisons. And it’s not just in relation to myself; I find that I often compare my children and their traits or accomplishments to others their age. Are my girls smarter, better dressed, more respectful, have more friends, excel at playing the piano – doesn’t the list go on and on?!! It’s so easy to fall into the comparison trap.
Pride may even take on a spiritual dimension. Perhaps I’m proud of my children’s good behavior or their participation in church activities. I might be proud that I have my devotions daily or that I took the opportunity to serve someone when others didn’t or that the lesson I taught in children’s church was well received.
Lately, when I’ve found pride trying to creep in like usual, I’m trying to redirect my thoughts in two ways: by quoting Scripture and by consciously being grateful.
Since the Bible says much about pride, it’s easy to find verses to memorize that help me fight against it.
“Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.” Proverbs 16:5
“….for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” I Peter 5:5
“When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2
In being grateful, my goal is to turn my focus off of myself and onto Christ. If I’m alone, I can say something like the following aloud: “God, thank you that you are faithful in helping me have my devotions each morning. Thank you that I have the physical strength to get out of bed and have time to spend in your Word.” Or, “Thank you that in your providence you gave our daughter the ability to learn quickly. May she use this gift to bring honor and glory to You and to help others.”
Cultivating gratitude also promotes contentment, which removes the competitive nature and the need to have “more than” someone else. Being content with where God has placed me and what He has given me allows me to rejoice – not only in what I have, but in how He blesses others.
Pride can creep into my life so stealthily and quickly. I need the Holy Spirit’s help to see it and get rid of it lest it take root and grow.
How do you handle pride? Do you find yourself falling into the trap of comparison?
Tracey, such a good reminder! Comparison! And I found in reading your post this morning that comparison is there in my mindset without me even being aware of it sometimes! Thanks for the great suggestions to offset this problem! Chris
Oh, my! Pride is one of my biggest weaknesses, or rather, sins. Just a minute ago as I was on facebook, I saw one of my friend's pictures and thought about how messy her house was compared to mine. Ugh! So it's something that I struggle with all of the time, too. I should memorize some of these verses to help with my humility. Thanks!
Pride is a huge problem – and a hard one to even recognise sometimes in this world of being confident and keeping up with the Joneses, etc. Social status and other such statuses are so popular, it's an easy trap to fall into!
I agree with you – a good way to combat such thoughts and temptations is to turn it into an opportunity to thank the Lord for His goodness, pray, and also glorify Him. Thank you for the excellent and timely reminder.
What an excellent tactic to focus on: changing pride into gratitude! I *want* to acknowledge when my kids are amazing…and honestly when I'M amazing! But to make sure the focus is always going back to giving God all the glory with a grateful heart is powerful! A great way to check myself!!!