When pride comes, then comes disgrace
but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs11:2
It is said that the middle letter of the word `sin` is `I` and that pride is at the heart of Adam and Eve's sin in their wanting to be like God.
Pride is one of the most difficult vices to deal with. It is subtle and cunning. It is good, for example, to take pride in our work, but it is dangerous for us to become arrogant and think that we are the be all and end all in the work place.
Healthy pride (maybe the right word is `dignity`) makes us be and do our best. Unhealthy pride puts us at the centre of the universe where everything is supposed to revolve around us. Disaster is not far away!
Many think that humility is self-abasement or being negative about ourselves. This is in fact just a perverse form of pride, because it means I get others to praise me instead of praising myself. True humilty is to have a clear picture of ourselves, but understanding that I am not the centre of the universe.
It is a Copernican revolution. We have to acknowledge that the universe does not revolve around us but that others are very important. If pride is self-centred, humility is other-centred. When we master other-centeredness, we'll be amazed at how much we can learn from them!
CS Lewis said: "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less."
It takes the strong to be humble. Jesus knew who He was and yet counted Himself as a servant and even submitted to the indignity of the cross.
JOY:
- J esus first
- O thers second
- Y ourself last
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
