Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Prov 11:2 (NLT)

There are essentially two levels of “pride.” There is a sense of pride we can have in ourselves that is healthy. It can be a feeling of self-respect and dignity, an ownership of our responses and interactions with life and those around us. It’s attached to self-esteem and honour. I tell my children every night before they go to sleep that I am proud of them, that I see them, I love them, I know them and who they are is something to be held in high-value and esteem. And I am learning to think the same away about myself. To not hide my journey or my true self away from the world, but wear it with pride. God has created me unique and he is taking me on a restorative and redemptive journey that I am not ashamed of…

But if “pride” is revelled in without the accompaniment of humility, it can run into dangerous levels of unhealthy and self-indulgent thoughts and behaviour. It becomes a “I’m better than them” mentality… “my work is better, my beliefs are better, my body is better, my dreams are better, my things are better, my worldview is better… even my theology is better, I am better…”

‘Better’ becomes ‘superior’ and soon enough, this kind of pride turns us into unteachable and rigid people unable to interact freely with an ever-changing world and it’s diverse humanity. This is why it leads to disgrace. The disgrace of racism, of vilification, segregation, hatred, abuse of power, neglect, physical and sexual abuse, fighting, war, corruption, lies, greed… it builds walls and separates, divides and tears apart the fabric of the world… it fights against the unseen threads of grace and love that connects us all.

Humility tempers pride. It says “I’m OK, and YOU are too…” because what makes us all OK is not anything that we have done, but the gift of love and grace that God so generously gives us all regardless of our origins, worldview and even actions (Eph 2:8).

In the Message Bible, this verse reads

“The stuck-up fall flat on their faces, but down-to-earth people stand firm.”

Humility keeps us down to earth, teachable… Humility doesn’t see what we don’t understand as a threat, but as something to be explored. It is the gateway to learning, maturity and growth. Wisdom.

And it goes hand in hand with faith.

The more I get to know God, the more I realise there is yet to learn. Humility keeps on the learning path and faith keeps me looking to the Divine for my answers.

Take a pride check today… Does it need a little tempering? Are you building walls with pride? Or are you tearing them down with humility?

Pride will only bring you to disgrace, but humility will keep you on track.

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