The Low Road to Pride: The subtle whisper

We don’t think of Pride as being a subtle sin.  We don’t think of sin as suddenly sneaking up on someone then overwhelming them like other sins.  In our thinking, sinful pride comes with neon signs and loud horns!  Pride comes with proclamations and boasts, big cars and bright jewelry.  But pride can be an amazingly subtle sin, especially if we don’t have many of the aforementioned outward trappings!

There is an old saying: “No one becomes suddenly base.”  The same can be true for pride as well.  Pride doesn’t just begin with a blossoming ego or a great accomplishment.  It can begin with a subtle whisper.  It can begin with a gaze at an award, or a look in a mirror.

For Satan it began with a comparison.  He thought “I can be just as strong/powerful/solid/amazing as God.”  

Is. 14:13  “But you said in your heart,  ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north.  14  ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 

He whispered it to himself!  And he has laid many low since then with similar whisperings:

 “You are just as smart as he is!” 

 “You are just as beautiful as she is!”  

“Why aren’t they paying attention to you?  Aren’t you just as important and valuable?”

“How dare he question your knowledge of this? After all, didn’t you watch that info-mercial on this subject?”

“He only picked her because they are friends.  You’re just as good as she is!”

And with our culture’s current emphasis on self-esteem as a primary value, it makes us all the more susceptible to falling into sinful pride.

Its been well said that sinful pride is the sin that we are most of aware of in others, but we are most unaware of it in ourselves.    And the problem is, we are often unaware of its presence in us as it begins to burn within us. Anything can be an opportunity for pride, even Christian things!

The story is told of a well advanced Tempter who was crossing the desert one day, and he came across a monk, surrounded by a group of minor imps.  They were attempting to tempt the venerable old man toward compromising his integrity.  They came at him with enticements to lust or toward avarice, and the ascetic easily disregarded them all.  The senior tempter watched the activity of the imps with a well practiced eye, and then bade them all to step aside.  “You are going about this all wrong.  Watch and learn,” he hissed, as he crept up to the old man’s side.  Then, he whispered into his ear, “Your brother has just been named the Bishop of Alexandria.”  He stepped back as suddenly a bright flame of burning pride erupted in the man’s soul. 

“The very idea,” said the old man, as his serene appearance melted away to be replaced with a expression of scorn and wounded pride, while the imps walked away acknowledging the greatness of the master tempter.

And we are no less susceptible.  Have you ever heard these kinds of things whispered into your soul?  I know that I have!

“You can sing/preach/teach as well as he can!”

“Why didn’t you get a visit on the visitation program?”

“You can lead a study as well as anyone else? Why don’t you get asked?”

“He took away your job! Who does he think he is?”
"That's not the right way to do that! Show him how its done!"

“You know as much about theology as her! You watch Christian TV all the time!”

“He didn’t ask you to lead that ministry the RIGHT way. Wait till he gets it right!”
"Where is YOUR public acknowledgement?"

“How dare she cut down your vision for this project?”

 Yes, the same opportunities for tempting us to pride exist in church as in anywhere else in this world. 

A whisper in your ear, or a rumor passed about.  A slight comparison made and remembering old bitterness.  However it happens, suddenly we are carried away by sinful pride.  Be careful of pride and the enticements to be prideful that our world, the flesh and the devil will throw your way.