Why God Hates Pride // How to Get Over Yourself and Live a Life That Counts, Part 3

A Different Perspective Official Podcast

In some respects, it’s okay to be proud. I’m proud of my children. That’s a good thing. But pride has it’s ugly side. And here’s the thing. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. That’s worth thinking about.

You and I don't have to look very far to see how ugly pride is. The devastating impact it has on the world, on nations, on people, even on children. There's a sad and ugly case in the news locally where I live, not too far back. It was about a young boy who committed suicide. It seemed that he'd been bullied at school, bullied by some other boys, bullied online.

And during the coronial inquest the coroner was told that not only was this boy gentle, not only did he not fight back but the bullying and the beatings were known to the staff at the school and so, it was alleged, they'd done nothing to address it.

Now if all of that's true then not only did those doing the bullying show the ugliest possible side and this thing we call pride but the system, the establishment that should have protected this young man, apparently did nothing to bring these boys to account.

If all those things are true, what a terrible indictment on our society. Have we gone so far that we just acquiesce and accept the ugliness and the horror of pride? Now you may think that it's an extreme example but it only appears extreme because the young man in question took his life, because the truth is coming out in an inquiry and it's being reported in the news and we're talking about it.

Had the lad not taken his own life it would have gone unreported and unnoticed by the likes of you and me.

I guess, when you look at it like that, the impact of this whole pride thing starts to make sense. It's having a sad and ugly impact on peoples lives all over the world. In the work place, you know, people abusing positions of power, setting themselves up above other human beings. Using the hierarchy to dominate and suppress and manipulate.

There's a difference between a manager and a petty bureaucrat isn't there? At home where parents set themselves up over their children. Where husband sets himself up over his wife or the older brother over the younger brother. The list goes on.

That's not to say there aren't hierarchies in this world and that we don't have to come under authority. Of course we do. But there's a difference between legitimate authority and the power game that's born out of pride.

That's what we're going to be looking at today. And we discover the answer by taking a look at why it is that God opposes the proud. Why is it that God doesn't like pride? It's one of the greatest bits of wisdom that you and I will ever find. Comes to us from the Old Testament book of Proverbs. And today there are three particular verses on pride that leap out at me. The first one is Proverbs chapter 15, verse 25, that says:

The Lord tears down the house of the proud but maintains the widow’s boundaries.

Now, that's really interesting 'cause it tells us a huge amount about who God is. From a human perspective, we have this natural expectation that because God is powerful, God is the God of the powerful and not the God of the weak.

Now we probably kind of know that's not true but in our heart of hearts, it's kind of what we believe. But here, in this Scripture, it's clear that God sometimes is exactly the opposite of what we expect. The widow's the one who most often gets ignored in this world.

In fact I just had a letter from a widow not so long ago. She listens to our programs. She's not well and in a lot of physical pain and she was making the point that no one from her Church takes the time to visit her or call her or pray with her. Pretty sad isn't it?

And yet Gods heart isn't for the proud. Not the people that we value through our worldly eyes. God’s heart is for the lonely widow, to give her practical help and assistance. He opposes the proud but maintains the widow’s boundaries.

It tells me a lot about why God is against our pride. Because of His love for each one of us and when push comes to shove, God will protect the weak and the powerless and the marginalised because of this enormous love.

Whenever you or I exercise pride it is inevitably against someone. We inevitably assert our selfishness over their needs and that is the opposite of love. It is so the opposite of who God is and what Gods all about.

And you know, the very next verse that follows the one we just read is this. Proverbs chapter 15, verse 26:

Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord but gracious words are pure.

Interesting because the very next thing that naturally flows out of our pride is evil plans and then evil deeds. It makes so much sense doesn't it? It's so obvious now why it is that God is against our pride. And that's why it also says, in Proverbs chapter 16, verse 19:

It is better to be a lowly spirit among the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud.

We are much better off living a life in love amongst the poor than to be one of the proud who has wealth. And this is something that God tells us over and over again. Listen to these proverbs:

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.

Better is a dinner of vegetables where there is love than a fatted ox and hatred with it.

Better is a little with righteousness than large incomes with injustice.

As you and I look at our lives I wonder where it is that we've allowed pride to creep in. I wonder where it is that we've sided with the proud to divide the spoils rather than have a lowly spirit and been amongst the poor.

There's a tendency for us to want to hang around wealthy people and successful people and have some of their success, you know, rub off on us. Natural, it's human but it's not Gods way. For me, becoming involved in ministry, this is a lesson that I had to learn before God could use me in the way He does.

We actually don't need the world’s recognition, you know. We actually don't need to be praised and pat on the back all the time. We don't need to win and to be on top and to have our way and for people to think well of us.

In fact, since I've realised that, can I tell you? I've had so much freedom and peace. Sometimes people will make, what I think, are wrong decisions. I might advice them or counsel them or try to influence them but at the end of the day it's not my job to control other people and if they make what I think is a wrong decision, well I hand it over to God.

There's no point in me exercising my pride to win because sometimes handing things over to God, showing genuine humility and trust in Him, that's exactly what's required. It's more valuable than winning. Certainly there's more peace in it.

My friend, God opposes our pride because our pride hurts other people. God opposes our pride because it naturally sets itself up against God. God opposes our pride because He's a God of love. He is opposed to pride because pride hurts those whom He loves. It is so logical and so obvious when we look at this through His word.

So I want to encourage you to be honest with yourself. To root out the pride, to address the things that are hurting others in what you say and what you do and how you behave towards them. God is love and that … that's why He hates pride.