Pride

To answer that question we must understand what pride is. Pride is A sense of one's own proper dignity or value; self-respect. You need pride to function in life. Like all things in life, what God created for good satan defiles for evil. Pride is good, God was proud of his creation...He said it was good and man was very good! Yet, when you become proud of the wrong things and/or let that pride take first seat in your life and emotions, you have a problem.

I am proud of my Lord, proud of my children and proud of my Church members. Yet, if I became proud of my salary, proud of my car or proud of my home then that takes my thought and attention away from God and puts it on self and self accomplishments, this is sin because it takes my devotion and thought away from God.

If you want to know the line between self esteem and pride first and foremost you need to walk close to God, the Spirit will tell warn you of foolish pride.

 

Self esteem is not what we are called to have. Modern psychology has infiltrated the church and has messed up our minds. The bible says we should esteem others higher than our selves. Pride is an abomination to God, we have done nothing to be proud of.

 

Man is the only animal that when you pat him on the back, his head swells.

I am just proud to be humble!

 

Nope. I think you done got it right!

 

I guess you never had a dog or cat . I have seen both cats and dogs with swelled heads. I wonder—is it a sin when a dog gets a big head? And will that sin keep the dog out of heaven? The next command that I am going to teach my dog is “REPENT.” Or maybe my dog will be saved by grace! (I hope my dog has never read the book of James). Or maybe I should have my dog euthenized before it reaches the age of accountability—and perhaps while I am at it, I should have my grandson euthenized to be sure he doesn’t grow up to be a teenager and get a big head like the teenager next door and end up in hell. Why did I have to go buy that dog—I should have bought a gold fish. But, then again, you “can’t take a goldfish for a walk.”

How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
The one with the waggley tail
How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
I do hope that doggie's for sale

I must take a trip to California
And leave my poor sweetheart alone
If he has a dog, he won't be lonesome
And the doggie will have a good home

How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
The one with the waggley tail
How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
I do hope that doggie's for sale

I read in the paper there are robbers (roof! roof!)
With flashlights that shine in the dark
My love needs a doggie to protect him
And scare them away with one bark

I don't want a bunny or a kitty
I don't want a parrot that talks
I don't want a bowl of little fishies
He can't take a goldfish for a walk

How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
The one with the waggley tail
How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
I do hope that doggie's for sale
I do hope that doggie's for sale
(B. Merrill)

 

You must be very proud of yourself memorizing that whole poem.

Take pride in your humility!!

 

Jesus loves you!

 

Pride is one of the most difficult things to see in ourselves, and one of the easiest things to see in someone else.

As for taking pride in any accomplishment we may achieve for the Lord through His grace, I think He took care of that idea here in Luke 17:
Luk 17:10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

 

For the record:
James is right on the mark here. He is the only one who has given pertinent Scripture concerning "esteem" and "pride".
What does the Bible say?
God has NOTHING good to say about "self-esteem" nor of "pride".
Mal 3:15
And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.
Isa 2:12
For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:
OTOH: if you CHOOSE to believe pop psycology then I suppose that is your perogative.
"I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing." Is that "self-esteem"? Is that "pride"?
Pride and self-esteem are very dangerous things. For proof, one need only look at the fall of Satan. God NEVER says He is proud of anything. Yet He does say He is well pleased with the faithfulness of His saints. Does He ever tell US to be "proud" of what we have done, be it "sactified" works or not? No way. See Luke 17, as James has posted it.

To answer the OP; Do a word search sometime on pride, proud, and self-esteem. HINT; "self"-esteem?

In HIS service;
Jim

 

We may say we are proud of our looks, our kids, our accomplishments, our intellegence, etc. I have heard people say they are proud of their church, their pastor and each other.

The proud look down on the poor saying "I have earned what I have. If I can do it I see no reason for the poor not to!

The poor look down on the rich saying," We may not have much and no one gave us anything but what we have is ours.

Doctors and lawyers tend to be condesending to the less educated.

This is all pride and God hates it!

In life all we are is what God made us to be. The bible teaches that the rich and the poor will always be with us. Not everyone can be rich and not everyone will be poor.

There will always be people smarter and wealthier than you and there will always be people less intellegent and poorer than you.

There are doctors and sewer workers. Why would the doctor be prideful? His abilities came from God. The doctor didn't create his intellect. God gave it to him.

What I am trying to say is that no matter what station in life we hold, if we are prideful it is because we think we had something to do with it. God hates boasting and pride because everything comes from God. Our abilities, intellect, riches, blessings, etc.

We owe everything we are to God. We can do nothing and are nothing without Him.

 

Folks...the only thing I know for sure about pride is that the closer I get to God and the more I know and know about my Lord Jesus...the less I think of myself....and the more THANKFUL I am for the LOVE and GRACE...and MERCY of God.May God grant us all to have humble,tender broken hearts before Him...with much thanksgiving!

Greg Sr.

 

it's a funny thing about humility as soon as you know you're being humble, you're no longer humble . . .

it's a funny thing about pride, when you're being proud you should be ashamed

-T Bone Burnett

 

yea myself included espeially Pride is the greatest weakness... Humility is the hardest command to keep of the Lords...

 

Thankfulness is probably a good substitute for pride. I am not proud of my family, I am thankful for it. I am not proud of my job, I am thankful for it. I am not proud of my abilities, I am thankful for them, etc.

 

Amen!

 

This is exactly what should be the case

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

If we say we are proud of something, we imply that we had something to do with it, it is because of how great we are. We should remember that he makes it rain on the just and the unjust alike.