“Pride” in today’s world is misunderstood. The Bible however does bring clarity into this topic as it does completely (1Cor 4:6) with everything else. Many godly people resent the very word “pride” but frankly zero pride only means zero respect. Let us take a look into a few scriptures that show us the type of pride that God resents.
Psalms 10:4
The wicked do not care about the LORD; in their pride they think that God doesn’t matter.
Isaiah 13:19
Babylonia is the most beautiful kingdom of all; it is the pride of its people. But I, the LORD, will overthrow Babylon as I did Sodom and Gomorrah!
Jeremiah 50:29
“Tell the archers to attack Babylon. Send out everyone who knows how to use the bow and arrow. Surround the city and don’t let anyone escape. Pay it back for all it has done, and treat it as it has treated others, because it acted with pride against me, the Holy One of Israel.
Obadiah 1:2-4
The LORD says to Edom, “I will make you weak; everyone will despise you.
Your pride has deceived you. Your capital is a fortress of solid rock; your home is high in the mountains, and so you say to yourself, ‘Who can ever pull me down?’
Even though you make your home as high as an eagle’s nest, so that it seems to be among the stars, yet I will pull you down
Do you notice here that the pride that God despises is the pride a man takes in himself and the work of his own hands? This was the very reason for which that mighty angel (Satan) was condemned (1Timothy 3:6).
So what do you think? Should the people of God totally do away with pride? I don’t think so because the Bible says so. Tell me, would you have cough syrup anytime other than when you have a cough? If you did, that would be a perversion of the medicine’s purpose to suit you for whatever reason….mostly probably to get high but we see so much of that in the world today. Another instance of such a case can be seen in the beggars of my city, who actually hire doctors to amputate their healthy limbs or have their eyes scooped out, so that their pitiful state will get them more money; which here is clearly a perversion of charity. The funny thing is what the world considers a new trick to pervert the ways of God is not new at all (Jeremiah 4:22). After all how far can a man go when everything he does centers around himself?
Habakkuk 1:7
They spread fear and terror, and in their pride they are a law to themselves.
Coming back to the topic of pride, if you say pride is to be fully rejected in view of God and his Law then I would like to ask you: Is it wrong for a father to be proud of his son (Proverbs 23:24)? Or is it wrong for a spouse to be proud of their faithful partner (Proverbs 12:4)? Are you now beginning to see the right application of pride and not the perversion of it?
There is a difference between being puffed with conceit and being filled with godly pride but here is the punch line: The best use to which a person can put their boasting is taking pride in knowing and exalting God. Allow me support my statement with scripture.
Jeremiah 9:23-24
Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,
but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”
Have you be ever been blessed with this kind of righteous pride? Let me tell you then that this blessing is a gift from God this is not the work of your own head and heart. For Jesus says that only His people hear his voice (John 10:27) and only they will confess Him before men (Mat 10:32) i.e. take pride in Him. At the end of it all: man should exalt only God and be humble concerning everything else, including himself.
Isaiah 2:17
Human pride will be ended, and human arrogance will be destroyed. Idols will completely disappear, and the LORD alone will be exalted on that day.
To conclude I would like to quote what the greatest man of God (Luke 7:28): “John the Baptist” said about Jesus Christ in John 3.
John 3:27-30
John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.
You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.
He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Making known the Defeated Dragon 