Featured Pride

Scripture also says "Give honor to whom honor is due." and that deacons who serve well are worthy of "double honor." We can and should recognize those who do something worthy of recognition, while at the same time thanking God for what he has allowed and enabled them to do.

I think the fact that we use the word "pride" for that experience does not make it wrong.

When complimented on something, usually I think it is actually more humble and less-attention drawing to simply say "Thank You." ...rather than refuse to accept any compliment and instead always say, "No, I can't take any credit, it was God [working/singing/serving] through me!"

(BTW, I'm not sure what that bolded sentence is saying.)

 

You are correct, it is Elders...My mistake. But the Pay given would be in recognition of their service, ie pointing out a job well done deserving of attention.

My point about saying Thank You is that by doing so, you are accepting their compliment, affirming that they have seen something in you to draw attention to. Some would say this is by definition NOT drawing attention to God himself, but I think it can be done in a way that is not sinfully prideful.

We are told to Boast "in the Lord" and that we know the Lord...So if we can take pride in the fact that We know God, could we not also take pride in the fact that God has seen fit to allow us to have some ability to serve him or the church, or other people.

And just to clarify the main point of the OP, would you say if I made a Desk for my Pastor out of wood, and upon completion of the desk, had ANY satisfaction in a job well done...that it is sin? Or would you say it is not sin, but I should not use the word "pride" to describe that satisfaction?

 

Since freeatlast is from Texas, Scarlett is from Louisiana and I'm a Tennessee native (now in Kentucky), we understand that we use the word proud when we mean pleased.

Some of us remember the Grand Ole Opry character Minnie Pearl. Here opening line was always, "Howdy! I'm just so proud to be here." She was not proud in the since that she was prideful. She mean she was happy to be here.

So when we tell our children we're proud of them, most of the time we really mean we're pleased with them.

It is obvious God is not a Southerner, or he would have said of Jesus at his baptism, "This is my beloved Son, of whom I'm really proud."

 

Certainly pride, as discussed in the Scriptures, is wrong.

There is a form of the "pride" shown by the Father toward the Son in more than one scene. For instance, the Father saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

"Well pleased" is what Scarlett O. is demonstrating by the use of the word "pride."

Two factors should be understood as determiners as to evil or good.

First, is the motivation behind the approval of the authority above the person is a key to appointment of "pride" being evil or good. Some motivate with and to evil intent - using manipulative words to selfish gain.

Second, is the expression of approval may be perverted by the approved into a self glorification rather than in Godly assurance.

Expressing approval may be good and right, but when taken in to an evil heart can become twisted and used to excess.

A short way to express this dual principle is perhaps in the following statement:

There are always those who are the teacher's pet, and those who think they are the teacher's pet.

 

1. I'm asking for clarification on the satisfaction question...Are you saying we can feel satisfied in our work, but we should not use the word "pride" to describe it?

2. Also, there are actually a whole bunch of different Hebrew and greek words that are translated pride in English.

3. What about these:

1 Corinthians 15:31 - I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day!

2 Corinthians 7:4 - I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.

---Is Paul Expressing sinful pride in these verses?

 

-That's what I'm asking, How are they different? And if I say I am proud of my work, have I sinned, or have I simply used the wrong word to describe my feelings?

Actually your agreement with my #2 discredits your assertion at point #3. There are many Greek Words that are translated pride in English. The fact that multiple translations (done by numerous greek schoolars) including the extremely literal NASB, use the word "pride" in these verses give me reason to think "Pride" is an acceptable translation for whatever greek word was there.

KJV uses "rejoicing" in 1 Cor. 15:31; and "great is GLORYING of you" in 2 Cor. 7:4...however there is not reason to think these words are better, unless one has a predetermined bias against the word pride.

Greek lexicon definition for the word, by the way, is "boasting".

 

I think that today's word "Pride" has variable meanings. One is definitely a sinful attitude, ie, "I am proud of my talent as a piano player". I knew a person who played the guitar really well, and he took it as an insult when someone called it a "God given talent", and he would respond, "God didn't give this to me, I worked for hours on end to get this good." This is a perfect example of the sinful pride as mentioned in the Bible.

In the English language as used today, the word pride or proud also has a different connotation. If I say, "I am proud to be American", I am not saying that I believe that it is because of my accomplishments that I am an American. In the same way, if I say, "I am proud of my children", does not mean that I believe that I should be exalted because of them. It is, as some have said, a rejoicing or a happiness. But it goes beyond that, even to a sense of thankfulness that they are mine.

The original sin was pride. As such, it goes without saying that we need to be wary of it. But with the evolution of the English language the word has come to have two meanings. Wikipedia actually says it pretty well:

On a related train of thought, it's possible that the watering down of the word is one of Satan's ploys to grey out the line between what is sinful and what is ok.

 

Tom proudly casted his vote for George McGovern in 1972, like he will proudly cast his vote for Barack Obama this year. This is not proud in the biblical sense, but pleased as he said above.

All kidding aside, there is nothing wrong with feeling good about a job well done. Two things make me feeling good usually. One is when the accomplishment help another person in some way. The other is thanking the Lord for the talent that came from Him in the first place. I thank him for the skill and the health to do the job. The sin comes in when the thought process of a good job focuses on yourself or "Gee world, look what I did."

Getting back to Tom, he has been around our church about fifteen years longer than I. Our congregation is a mix of lower to middle class folks. We have no doctors, lawyers, or Indian chiefs. At one time, back in the 50s and 60s, we had some local business owners. Anyway, I say all of that to say that Tom serves in a church that reflects service to the Lord, and not self attention. Tom is very talented musically in both voice and directing music. He could have easily served at a large Baptist church as their music minister as a career. His actual career would have fit right in with a larger, (and more well off) church full of doctors and lawyers. I am not sure if everyone is aware, but Tom was our TV news anchor for decades, which made him a very visible person in the community. Anyway, he serves in our church faithfully, and has been a big factor in the unity that we enjoy today. I have never seen him mad (no doubt he has been, we all have). One issue we disagree on is open vs closed communion, and have discussed it many times. He is a man that calmly explains his reasoning, and respects other views.

Whenever I think about the issue of pride, I think of Tom as an example. He has a lot more reason to be "proud" of his accomplishments in the community, church, and vocation than I, but yet, he serves where the Lord has placed him, quietly in the background.

Oh, one last thing, Tom, if I can get your name inserted in Numbers 12:3, do you want to be more humble than Moses, or second most humble?

 

Numbers 12:3 says nobody was more humble than Moses. Second place is fine for me.

After all, humility is one of my greatest attributes. I'm really proud of my humility.

Folks, I have done an excellent job of fooling SN, along with everybody else in our church. If you really want to know about me, talk to my wife. And my children.

On second thought, maybe you shouldn't.

 

Once again we have a situation in which the science of semantics involving translation must be dealt with.

The English words "pride" and "proud" include a nuance in it's semantic domain which neither Greek nor Hebrew encompass.

i.e "to be diligent" e.g. "He took pride in his work" can be expressed by "he took due diligence in his work" or "he was meticulous in his work".

HankD

 

I have shown that NOT EVERY PASSAGE in scripture shows pride in a sinful way. (See also the 1 & 2 Corinthians verses cited above).

As Hank D has stated, there is also a language difference here that is not being taken into account.