Pride

Pride.  It is the thick wet blanket that we think hides our flaws from the world, yet really showcases them to the world.

Pride was the downfall of the Montagues and the Capulets.  Pride blinded Napoleon to his inevitable defeat at Waterloo.  Pride was the true face that launched a thousand ships against Troy.  Pride was what seduced Melkor to divide from the Ainur and Ilúvatar’s set melody and create his own rebellious discord.  Pride was what would not allow him to remain peacefully in Arda after he’d been forgiven his rebellions (Ainulindalë from The Silmarillion).  And pride is what caused Lucifer, that son of the dawn, to lift himself up and say “I will ascend into the heavens! I will raise my throne above the stars of God!  I will site enthroned on the mount of the assembly…!  I will ascend above the tops of the clouds!  I will make myself like the Most High!” (Isaiah 14:13-14 emphasis added).  “I will, I will, I will!” is the dangerously ambitious cry of pride!

Pride caused the emperor to parade down the street in no clothes.  Pride caused Odysseus to defy the gods.  Pride caused Henry VIII to divide from the Holy Roman church and make himself the head of the new Anglican church.  Pride causes the marriage to die because the sum of the union is not valued as more important than the feelings of those who partook of the union.  Pride causes the pastor with no other source of income to “ball” off of his parishioners’ first fruits, tithes, and offerings.  Pride is the ugly poison that seems to have successfully infected every level, culture, and grouping of society.  With the disease so widespread, what can be done to inoculate our world?

Part of the strength of pride lies in its many, varied manifestations.  There is ambition, which if misguided and unchecked, can morph into a hideous beast of terror (see Lucifer/Satan, Melkor, Sauron, King Saul, etc.).  There is also national pride which is honourable, yet if let run amuck, can transform into nationalism which has left an indelible mark on our world history thanks to World War I and especially World War II (see Hitler, Mussolini, Lenin, Stalin, the Vikings, etc.).  Arrogance is probably the most obvious form of pride which makes us despise those who lord themselves, their looks, their wealth, etc. over us.  Its despicable.  Another form is religious pride with which we are intimately acquainted with.  Religious pride is the incubator of the blinded zealots who declare “to kill an infidel is the path to Heaven” (Kingdom of Heaven), “may His blood be on us and our children” (Matthew 27:25), and “Believers, make war on the infidels who dwell around you” (Quran 9:123).  Yet, will all these types of pride, the most appalling is false humility. 

Having been surrounded by a Judeo-Christian community my entire life and intimately acquainted with the Evangelical church in America, I have almost been almost choked by the ever-increasing members wearing their false humility on their sleeves.  I know a man who preached like he was before 10,000 members; he ignored the 10 he had.  He bad-mouthed and belittled those under his pastoral authority and used them to his will because after all, he was better than them all.  I know of a young woman who spends hours in prayer, sings with the voice of an angel, and can command any pulpit with divine power, but she cannot and will not speak to the people she ministers to.  They will taint her body and her ministry.  Then she married the man aforementioned to produce a ministry completely founded and based upon a visiting anointing and false humility. 

I have seen a young pastor charm his way up through the ranks with his charismatic messages, fine appearance, silver tongue, and gifted presence.  He starves himself with fasting, keeps vigils when he should be slumbering, speaks prophetic words of deliverance, and yet cannot admit that he needs deliverance from his private issues himself. 

Yes, my world has been filled with pride ruling from the first lady’s roost, manipulating the prayer relationships, seeping through the pulpit, and stifling the atmosphere.  Yes, I know what pride looks like and its ugliest, most angelic form is that of false humility. 

But what do we know of pride itself?  We know that it comes before destruction and the fall (Proverbs 16:18), we know that it will keep our prayers from being answered (Leviticus 26:19), we know Leviathan (aka the “Kraken”) is the king over pride’s children (Job 41:34), and above all, we know that God hates it (Proverbs 8:13).  The greatest Kings of Israel and Judah struggled with it.  Saul lost his kingdom to it (I Samuel 13:1-14).  David’s kingdom suffered a plague because of it (II Samuel 24:1; I Chronicles 21:1).  Hezekiah set up his kingdom for destruction with it (II Kings 20:12-19) and Uzziah died of leprosy and ceased to rule because of it (II Chronicles 26:16-21).  Pride is a deadly sin indeed, so why would we seek to thinly veil it with pretended humility? 

We might be able to successfully fool man for a time, yet the true motives of our heart will ultimately always be revealed.  And even though we may act under a season of grace, God will always know our innermost parts, thoughts, and motives.  He sees the blackness we hide behind our toothy smiles, church hugs, and “I’ll pray for yous” we sprinkle at the end of each concern, turning us almost into pathological liars.  And pathological liars actually believe the rubbish they spew.

To be fair, many people act based off of what they’ve been taught.  As far as church leadership goes, they do not know any better.  And this excuse may work for the baby Christian who’s still taking milk and cannot stand or hasn’t been fully introduced to the meat of the Word yet.  But once we know, we can no longer feign ignorance. 

However, most of us know exactly what we are doing.  We are calculating and manipulative as to how we handle our appearances and the people we come into contact with.  We raise our hands the highest, sing our praise the loudest, pray on bended knee the longest, and give our offering envelopes [whether full or not, we’ll never know] the most often.  The goal is to make sure that no one can see through our facades of glimmering gold and shimmering silver. But once that plating is stripped craped away, all that’s left is a dull, cheap vessel.  And who wants that?  Certainly not God.  And if we’re honest with ourselves, we don’t want it either.

We want the reputation that’s worth more than diamonds, rubies, and precious metals, but we do not want the process.  We do not want to enter the crucible of holy fire that forces the dross to the top, only to be scraped off.  We do not want to experience the deadly pressure that shapes a lump of coal into a diamond.  We want to abort the process and arrive at completion, but this is not and will never be possible. 

Pride is a part of our human make-up.  Since we were created in the image of an Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent God (Genesis 1:26).  Pride is embedded in our very nature.  However, as the mere image and creation of God, we are not allowed to exercise that divine inclination because that is a privilege only allowed to God Himself.  We may take pride in Him, His works, and His arm (strength), yet not in ourselves.  We may boast of the Divinity that has chosen to make His home in our hearts, yet not of our person alone.  We may glorify Him for the miracles He does through us, as long as we do not accept the glory ourselves.  We may wear a diadem on our heads as long as we are able to cast it before His feet at the foot of His throne.  Pride is our privilege as long as we boast in Him, but it has no business being made our own.

So if pride is the poison of society, the malady of the Evangelical church, and woven into the very threads of our existence, how do we overcome it?  In a word—humility.

This is not the false humility described in great detail above, no.  This is the power that shrunk from the vastness of the universe into the womb of a woman.  This is the submissiveness that feigned ignorance to be taught by those who He created before the foundation of time.  This is the meekness that shunned the help of the hosts of heaven, allowed the Lord of lords to be arrested by lowly men, the King of Kings to be tried by earthly rulers, and the General of Heaven’s armies to be crucified by flawed Roman replicas of soldiers.  That is the humility of which I speak.  With His tongue as the Sword of the Spirit, He chose never to say a mumbling word.  With the strength of all created beings at His very finger tips, He chose to be dominated.  With the government of the kingdoms and nations upon His shoulders, He bore the stripes for our healing.  This is the humility of which I speak.  The God of all creation, by Whose wisdom the earth was created and Whose Word the heavens were lightened, chose to step inside of time and accomplish our deliverance so that we could one day reign with Him. 

What is false humility to this?  The mere wraith whose feet are pierced by the hardened grass of reality (see The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis).  If you could choose between the rhinestone Cracker Jack ring or the Harry Winston heirloom, which would pick?  You would pick the heirloom, because the authenticity of the ring is what renders it its value.  Any appraiser, half-blind and dull-witted, could tell you the difference.  So which will you choose for your own life?  Pride thinly veiled as humility or true humility?  The choice is up to you.  But whatever choice you make, know that your identity, your assignments, and your very life will be the price you pay for your choosing.