I'm a Man - I'm Supposed to be Proud, Right?

Strange title, huh? Yeah, I thought so, too. Kinda why I picked it. By this time, you're wondering where in the world I'm going with this - and why I won't just get to the point. Well, fine. If you think you're ready, I'll begin.

The subject of pride and humility is one that is universal. Each one of us, man or woman, child or adult, pastor or church-goer, is subject to pride. We're told to take pride in our work, to take pride in ourselves, to be proud of our family, our country-- the list goes on forever. But should we? Should we take pride in something we do well?

As men, we are to be the heads of our households, the public face of our family, and the leaders of our churches. The opportunities for pride are numerous and varied. We deal with pride each and every day, whether we realize or not. Do we take pride in our girlfriend or wife? Do we take pride in our muscular body, or our mental capacity? I do. But maybe I shouldn't...

Pride is sin. Whether or not you realize it, admit it, or want to accept it, it is. The bible states this over and over and over.

"But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the LORD his God and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. "- 2 Chronicles 26:16. Pride leads us away from God.

"Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve! "- Psalm 94:2. God will repay the proud with what they deserve, and it isn't going to be pretty.

"Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin."-Proverbs 21:4. A proud heart- even if you don't obviously show pride, but simply have a proud heart, that is SIN.

What specifically is pride? Pride, at the most basic level, is desiring and taking what belongs to God. Doesn't make sense? Think about it this way - God created you, gave you the abilities and circumstances that made you who you are, worked our salvation for you, and you claim that YOU did "this", or YOU did "that" so very well. Who really should get the credit? You? No, God should. Pride is taking the glory and exaltation from God and claiming it for ourselves. God abhors this!

Pride shows itself in many ways, from obvious boasting (Think of a professional basketball player saying "Yeah, coach gave the ball to me because he knows I'm the one who scores the points around here."), to acting in such a way to make people think better of you (speaking just so people think you know something about the topic - even though you don't!). Think about how pride shows itself in your life - you'll get a long list.

So, pride's a problem. That much we know, but how do we fix it? How can we move away from that intrinsic thought process within mankind since the fall, and act in such a way that gives God the glory? Be humble.

Humility has been misconstrued for a long time, now. People think to be humble means to put yourself down, to deny that you are anyone worth anything. THAT, my friends, is FALSE humility. False humility is the denial of God's good gifts ("You did a great job on that presentation!" "No, not really. I wasn't that great.") It is WRONG to deny that God has done anything for us, and that we are worthless.

True humility comes in a surprisingly simple package - taking a proper view of yourself, the only conclusion that you can come to is that you are nothing without Christ, and therefore the glory goes to Him. You realize that you aren't worthless, but it's only because of Christ. Think about this - for Muhammad Ali to be humble, he would have said (assuming he had come to know Christ), "I am the greatest - not on my own, but because Christ has given me the ability and talent to box well." What a difference! The focus isn't on him anymore, the focus is on Christ, where it ought to be!

The apostle Paul had a pretty good fix on this; in I Timothy 1:15-16 he says, "...Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life." Wow! Paul not only has a proper view of himself (foremost sinner), but also realizes that what Christ does in our lives is for HIS glory, not ours. Paul then goes on in verse 17, "To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." - That sure sounds like he's putting the focus on God and not himself.

The journey from pride to humility isn't an easy one - it's lifelong. Opportunities for pride are always around, and can even come from humility if we aren't careful. But God promises to help us with this journey, "...if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chron. 7:14) God tells us that if we 1) humble ourselves, 2) pray and seek his face, and 3) turn from our wicked ways, then he will forgive us and heal us. Because sanctification is a lifelong process, we won't be completely rid of pride until we reach heaven, where we will meet with God in ALL his glory, and then we can't help but be humble in the very presence of our God!

One more amazing promise I'd like to share with you; in Psalm 149:4, we are told, "For the LORD takes pleasure in his people, he adorns the humble with salvation." "He adorns the humble with salvation" - that's what I want! Salvation can only come through humility, because we have to admit that we are sinners devoid of good before we can be saved.

So, let us as men (and ladies, too!) strive to humble ourselves before Christ, giving all glory and praise to him, because he deserves it. And let us not give opportunity for pride to rise up in another, but make Christ the focus in everything.