A Deep Dive Into Humility, Part 10: Worse Than Folly
July 15, 2022 | by: Dale Thiele | 0 Comments
Posted in: Pastoral Encouragement | Tags: humility, pride
Sometimes it helps to understand a concept by studying its opposite. This is true when learning about humility. The opposite of humility, of course, is pride. C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, “According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.” By understanding the evil and destructiveness of Pride, the virtue and value of humility is elevated in our esteem.
Consider Proverbs 26:12, “Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” To be wise in one’s own eyes is to be prideful. This person rejects God’s assessment of one’s nature, position, abilities, and calling. God’s assessment of an individual’s wisdom is that it is insufficient. Therefore, God calls us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding” (Prov. 3:5). And he warns in Proverbs 15:22, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.”
Therefore, God does not commend one who is wise in his own eyes. In fact, he says, “there is more hope for a fool than for him.” Why is pride so hopeless and dangerous? Scripture gives us several insights.
- Pride Hardens the Heart. Daniel speaks about the effects of Nebuchadnezzar’s pride in 5:20, “When his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.” A heart is hardened when it sees it has no need and ignores God’s gracious provisions. Pride hardens one’s heart because it looks to the self for meeting one’s needs. A hardened heart becomes less and less receptive to God’s truth. Needless to say, this is a very dangerous place to be.
- Pride Leads to Every Other Sin. Lewis mentions this in his chapter on The Great Sin. Pride ultimately rejects God’s ways and laws as inadequate for leading one’s life. Therefore, the proud heart is open to disobeying God’s law, believing there are better ways to live a full life. Pride diminishes in one’s perspective the evilness of such sins like greed, adultery, malice, and gluttony. Pride helps to justify such sin as legitimate or necessary. We will never grow in holiness or obedience to God if we allow pride to reign unfettered in our hearts.
- Pride Rejects God’s Authority. Naturally, if one is wise in his own eyes, he does not look outside of himself for direction or authority. Therefore, Scripture is not the final authority. The proud person even interprets Scripture to fit his own desires. Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:3, “The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.” For Paul “sound teaching” is the teaching of Scripture. Pride leads people to reject the authority of Scripture to define what it means to be human, what is sin, who is God, how one is saved, how we are to live in the world, etc. I believe this is one of the main ways pride manifests itself among unbelievers and even among believers. We are all susceptible to rejecting God’s authority in favor of our own preferences and desires.
- Pride Leads to Destruction. Most of us are familiar with the Proverb, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (16:18). The previous three observations should make it clear why pride leads to destruction. A harden heart, open to every other sin, and rejected God’s authority is on the broad path to destruction. This Proverb goes hand in hand with James 4:6, “God opposes the proud.” There is no value or benefit in being proud.
I pray that these truths would awaken an urgency in our hearts to labor against the pride residing within us and seek to cultivate humility. It is not a matter of if there is pride within us, it is a matter of how much. Until we die or Christ returns, we will always be fighting against pride. Let us not lose heart and give up. Let us fight the good fight of faith.
