“Wherefore He saith, ‘God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.'” James 4:6
Dear Ones:
Concerning pride, David wrote in Psalm 138:6, “…the proud He knoweth afar off.” Why is pride so abhorrent to God? What truly is pride, from God’s standpoint? There are at least two answers to these questions. The first has to do with the truth about God as Creator and Redeemer, and the truth about man, sinful and lost. Pride is a wrong thought, an idea about the “worth” of man based upon the world’s criteria of value. We compare ourselves with others in many ways, and consciously or unconsciously attribute value to our lives based upon this comparison. For example, if we look at a great athlete, compare ourselves with him or her, with regard to our abilities and performance, we see ourselves as having value, stature, worth, in the measure that we resemble them. A man whose faith is not in God will seek to obtain worth in this manner. This is NOT right thinking. It will lead, in most instances, to baseless boasting and gloating on accomplishments. It is not wrong to compete, and to compete to win. It is wrong to accept the glory, wrongfully thinking that the beginning and ending of the entire experience has its origin and realization in us, and us alone.
There is another aspect of “wrong thinking,” but this time it does not have to do with other people, but with God. An illustration of this is the subject of idolatry in the Old Testament. Idolatry is the material fabrication of an object which represents a false idea of God. Man has an idea, forms a material idol, attributes to it worth, and declares it to be God. As the idea was a wrong one in seeking worth by comparing ourselves to other people, so the idea is erroneous when we think that we can have an “idea” about God, put it in material form, and declare that it has MADE us, has become our God. Pride begins with a wrong idea of ourselves in the heart, is strengthened by an increasing adherence to the false concept, and manifests itself in the quiet, or overt, boasting or gloating of one’s worth as a result. What does God have to say about such an attitude? He knows the proud (person) afar off,” He “resists the proud.”
What then is the opposite of pride? The Bible calls is humility. What is it? It is a right and truthful thought about our existence with regard to others, but especially with regard to God. The Psalmist put it so beautifully: “Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.” (Ps. 100:3) The truth is that we are God’s creation, and ALL that we have that is good, we have received from Him. Hence, the recognition of this is expressed in “thanksgiving” to God. By giving thanks to God, we are acknowledging that He is the Giver of every good and perfect gift. The second truth expressed here is that, compared to God, we are like sheep, absolutely needing to be led and provided for. Christ is not only the Potter and we the clay, but He is the Great Shepherd, and we the sheep.
Dear Father, give us grace to see Thee as You are, and to see ourselves in the light of Thy person. Save us from comparing ourselves with others to obtain “worth.” Give us grace to look at Thy Son suffering and dying on Calvary, and to understand the worth that You have placed upon every created soul. Thou hast loved us, and given Thy Son for us. This is love; this is worth. We thank Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad