Pride Slices Deeply - Martin Wiles

Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 11:2 NLT

Perhaps I was judging when I shouldn't have been, but my first impression ushered in pride and arrogance.

Jansen was the head of a medium-sized organization. He and I were acquaintances, but little more. He needed someone to fill a position I was skilled in and invited me to join. From the beginning, I felt I had made a mistake. Jansen paraded around like the sole cock in the chicken yard. He made the rules and asked no one their opinion. He rebuked anyone who dared to buck his system.

Something about Jansen didn't seem right, but I assumed my first impression was wrong. He rarely spoke to anyone unless he was spoken to first. In spite of his mannerisms and prideful personality, his charismatic personality drew people.

Jansen's pride, however, eventually came home to roost. Thirteen years after joining the organization, those in charge discovered he had been having affairs with numerous women inside and outside the organization. The ruling board soundly rebuked him and requested his resignation. Pride sliced him deeply and brought him down.

Pride will do for anyone what it did for Jansen. When we're proud, we think more of ourselves than we should. While we shouldn't think less of ourselves than is healthy, we must remember that we are who we are solely because of what Jesus Christ has done. As Christ's followers, we've been given his righteousness, but we had nothing to do with being worthy of it.

Pride will repel others. Jansen may have had a winning personality, but just as many avoided his organization because of his arrogance as joined it. No one enjoys hanging around with someone who thinks they are better than others.

Pride also interferes with our dependence on God. When pride controls us, we'll think we can handle life ourselves, forgetting we can only do all things through Christ . . . not ourselves.

Pride will eventually lead to a downfall, as it did with Jansen. What the downfall might be or how severe the consequences are varies, but the bringing down by God will happen.

Don't let pride slice you. Stay humble, and remember you are who you are solely because of God's grace and mercy.

Father, remove pride from my life so I can humbly serve you as you did me. 

Tweetable: Is pride slicing you? 

I invite you to try my newest book, Grits, Grace, and Grands, in eBook or paperback. If you are an editor who wants to hone your grammar skills or someone who just wants to improve your writing or speaking, this is the book for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.