The Pride Problem

I’ve got a problem with pride.

I am a type-A person from a family full of type-As. Type-As tend to be driven and successful. This is true for me, and while I know that not everything I do is a success, I am proud of my accomplishments.

But as I review the topic index of my study Bible, the list under “Pride” is…well, let’s just call it troubling.

• Beware of the Sin of Pride
• The Danger of Pride
• The Perils of Pride
• Pride and Self-Praise
• Sorrow Awaits the Proud
• Avoid Pride and Vanity
• The Consequences of Pride

The list goes on and on…and it leaves me fighting an internal battle. Where do I draw the line? Is there even a line? How do I keep from falling into the trap of pride?

I know that everything I have achieved is thanks only to God. And, where appropriate, I vocalize that. It is all Him.

The problem in my work life is that due to my type of employment, I cannot be open about my faith. If someone says I did a great job with a presentation on a sensitive topic, I can’t say that God gave me the insight and wisdom to know what to say even though I know that to be true.

I want to think that when the Bible is referring to the downfalls of pride, they are referring to the “I’m the best ever” type of pride. Whereas, the pride I often feel is pride in a successful job well done, which I can internally (and sometimes externally) attribute to God.

This is where I wonder how modern translations may impact the word presented in the bible and the intended meaning. While I did take two semesters of Ancient Greek language in college, I am far from a linguist. But I did a review of places the word “pride” was found in the Bible. In most cases, it had a negative connotation. The Hebrew word gaon was often used, which indicated a haughty arrogance and later was translated generally to pride.

Yet there are other places in the Bible where the word pride is NOT used in a negative way. The Apostle Paul closes out his first letter to the church in the city of Thessalonica by saying, “Yes, you are our pride and joy” (1 Thessalonians 2:20 NLT). But as I transition that verse to other versions of the Bible, I see that pride is often replaced with glory.

Maybe it is a pitfall of the flesh, but I don’t think that owning that sense of success and accomplishment is the type of pride that spawns from the seven deadly sins. The most important factor is what is in your heart?

If your heart holds the type of haughty arrogance that makes you believe you are better than anyone else, that likely requires some deep introspection. But if your heart wells with a sense of accomplishment, like mine often does, I think we’re doing okay. Just don’t forget to show your gratitude to God for our success.