A Word about the Folly of Pride

Today, I want to share a word about the folly of pride as I comment on Proverbs 16:1-19. This passage reads, 

The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished. By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil. When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment. A just balance and scales are the Lord's; all the weights in the bag are his work.  It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness. Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. A king's wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will appease it. In the light of a king's face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain.  How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. t is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud.

In human terms, pride is often seen as a good thing. For example, new workers are often told to have pride in their work. Even people who reject pride can be prideful with an attitude of, “I’m so proud that I’m humble,” or “I am proud to be poor.”

Wisdom is seeing life from God’s point of view, and we must consider God’s viewpoint on pride. It we do so, it will change ours.

First, pride reject’s God’s standards.

In many areas of life, having an established standard is very helpful:

1. Interchangeable parts for machinery.
2. Purity standards for water.
3. Educational standards.
4. Standard procedures for airliners and other public transportation.

Of course, these standards must be correct, because we have learned from past mistakes that the wrong standard, like in the case of exposure to lead or nuclear materials can be very harmful. Indeed, the ones who set standards must have the best intentions to help and not to harm, people.

So, whose standards are always correct? Humanity’s standards or God’s? The first three verses in Proverbs 16 assert that human standards are sinful and limited, but God’s standards are perfect and righteous.

We reject God’s standards at our own risk and to our own detriment!

Next, pride rejects God’s salvation.

Humans tend to be self-centered. We are convinced that our ways are right, our abilities are the best, our plans are the greatest, and our righteousness is the highest. People tend to think that we are the masters of our own destiny and that we can pick ourselves up by our own bootstraps. God, disagrees, however.

God proclaims that His ways are right. He created everything, and despite the scourge of human sin, creation still generally works the way He designed it to work. God’s ideas are better than ours, and they take into account that all of us have sinned, and that all our righteousness is like filthy rags.

It is good for us, that Proverbs 16:4-6 tells us that when we turn to God, and when we accept the salvation that He offers, that He will give us clemency and pardon. It is only our pride that keeps us from God’s offer of salvation and its resulting blessings.

In addition, pride rejects God’s sovereignty.

God is in control of our world. He allows the sun to rise and set, and He allows the rain to fall on the just and the unjust alike.  God was in control when Jesus was on the Cross and in the grave and He is in control in Heaven today.

One of the most ironic situations in history is that Satan, the Jews, and the Romans all thought that they had Jesus beat when He was on the cross. The truth was that He had them right where He wanted them.

Finally, pride rejects God’s love for our souls.

God wants the best for us. He wants to keep us from destruction and from evil. In John 10:10, Jesus said, “The thief comes not but to kill, to steal, and to destroy; I am come that they may have life, and that more abundantly.”

On the other hand, if we are prideful and reject God’s way, we will foster our own demise. As Proverbs 16:18 tells us, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

When we are prideful, we reject God’s love and we follow our own way, our own path. The result of that is that we will fall, and we will be destroyed.

However, if we humbly submit to God we will live, we will be preserved, and we will be joyous. 

Conclusion.

As the saying goes, a word to the wise is sufficient. Are we wise? If we are we will reject pride, and we will humbly accept God’s way, and all the blessings that come along with it!

Thanks so much for visiting with me today! I'll be back soon with another word from the Bible that we can share together.

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt