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From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

 

Dear Rev. Graham: My mother always taught me to have pride in myself and behave properly. I’m now an adult and while we live in an egotistical society, my mother’s words haunt me. They seem to be contradictory and give way to the “me-ism” in our world today. Yet my mother was a wise woman and a grounded student of Scripture. I must not be connecting with her admonition, because she would not teach something against Scripture when it says, “The Lord detests pride.” – P.M.

 

Dear P.M.: There is nothing wrong with having a healthy self-respect or a legitimate sense of personal dignity. The pride that God loathes is the haughty, undue self-esteem out of all proportion to our actual worth. It is the repugnant egotism that is repulsive to both man and God. It is that revolting conceit that swaggers before men and struts in the presence of the Almighty. And God hates it.

Pride may take various forms. Spiritual pride trusts in one’s own virtue rather than in the grace of God. Intellectual pride gives its possessor self-confidence rather than God- confidence. Pride in material things enthrones self and displaces God; secondary things are exalted to the place of first importance. Social pride manifests itself in arrogance and status. All forms of pride emanate from the haughty human heart, and pride is the sin that God hates most.

What can we do about it? Sinful pride must be confessed. We must humble ourselves in the sight of God. Look then at Christ, who humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross (see Philippians 2:8)! We live in a world that encourages pride in a person and misunderstands and mocks humility. We know that every good and perfect gift comes from the Lord. We can pray and choose the way of humility over pride.

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)