NBC Pastoral Letter October 2011 - Pride

James 4.6 “God opposes the proud, but shows favour to the humble.”

What is Pride?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as “A high, esp. an excessively high, opinion of one's own worth or importance which gives rise to a feeling or attitude of superiority over others; inordinate self-esteem.” It is also recognised as the first and worst of the traditional seven deadly sins, often being the base from which the others are reached. It is such a serious matter that James quotes these fearful words form Proverbs, that God opposes the proud.

So what do we have pride in?

Our own abilities. We think that we don’t need anyone’s help, but actually the reason we say this, and overwork ourselves, is because we want all the credit. We want people to praise us for all that we have done. Not needing anyone’s help also means that we won’t seek God and the power of his Spirit to live for him, because we believe we can do it all ourselves.

Our own goodness. We think that we’re good enough –  we don’t really think, do or say anything wrong. We’re better than others, who do make mistakes, and therefore we don’t need God’s forgiveness. Of course John tells us in his first letter, that if we say we have no sin, we make God out to be a liar! So this cannot be true.

That we are right. When we believe that we are right, and we’re proud of that, we won’t try to forgive other people for their mistakes, because they are clearly wrong. We won’t try to draw close to people we disagree with. Instead we will expect them to come to us, crawling on their knees, confessing their wrongs and begging our forgiveness. How arrogant!

Our wealth. We don’t seek God for his provision, but rely on our insurances and pensions and savings. Now, none of these things are wrong in themselves, but if our pride is in them, and our trust is in them, then we will not look to the Lord as our Provider. “You do not have because you do not ask,” writes James later in chapter 4.

Our religious heritage. We may be proud that we are a Christian nation, or that we come from a Christian family, or that we have been a Christian for more than fifty years. These things may or may not be true, but Paul says in Galatians 6, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

What is the antidote to pride?

There are five things that are part of the antidote to pride, and they are very simple. Mark Bailey simply tweeted the five words! I expand them below.

Service. Not a prideful kind of service or volunteering, where we want to be noticed by others and valued by others. This kind of service we will withdraw if we do not feel valued enough. Instead a humble obedience, that is inconvenient at times, sometimes doing stuff that we know other people are better suited to. Christian service is God’s love in action.

Humility. This is when, as Paul says in Philippians, we consider others as better than ourselves. It is totally against human nature, and we need God’s Spirit to enable this kind of humility. It means always entertaining the possibility that we may be wrong.

Prayer. Prayer is the heart of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. He longs to hear us, and he longs to speak to us. As I was preparing this as a sermon, I read in Michael Wenham’s blog, “God doesn't value you for what you do; he values your company. He's interested in you - incredible as it may seem.”

Acknowledging God’s Lordship. This means handing over control of our lives to God. It is so hard! But God our heavenly father always wants the best for us, and always knows what is best for us. Even though in our following of Jesus we often slip up and make mistakes, God is always ready to set our feet back on the path when our hearts yearn after him and his mercy.

Stop complaining. Maybe you have never realised that complaining is a form of pride. We all do it on occasions, and it usually makes us feel better. But it hardens our hearts. It makes us bitter and unloving. We feel that we are the judge of what is good and what is not, and our hearts become full of unforgiveness. Instead of this, let us always look for the best in people, and be constructive and helpful.

Above all, we must remember what God says through Micah:

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
   And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
   and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6.8)

May God bless you.

Nik