In some of our small groups we’re going through this small pamphlet called From Pride to Humility: A Biblical Perspective by Stuart Scott. It has been personally convicting for me and helpful to a few at our church. We may do a review of it in the future. But in the mean time, I will be posting excerpts from the book from time to time.
We’ll start off with some of the beginning portions of the book:
“It is probably safe to say that humility is the one character quality that will enable us to be all Christ wants us to be. . . . We must embrace and live out humility in order to truly live and be who God means for us to be.”[1]
“You cannot have humility where pride exists. Pride is the opposite of humility and it is one of the most loathed sins in God’s sight.” (cf. Prov 16:5).
Pride is everywhere and manifests itself in many different ways. The question isn’t “Do I have pride?” it is “How much pride do I have?” “Pride is evidence of foolishness and childishness.”
Pride is “the root of every sin and evil” (Andrew Murray). Pride is the beginning of every sin.
Pride is a form of idolatry because it turns us into “self-worshipers,” yet people try to hide this pride behind spiritual words and actions.
Scripture never says, “Come on now, you’re thinking too poorly of yourself” or “What you need is to consider yourself more.” Actually, God warns us of this mentality and discourages us to think this way. The Bible tells us to stop focusing on ourselves.
A proud person is someone who is focused on self (a form of self-worship). Prideful people think themselves to be “the source of what is good, right and worthy of praise. . . . In essence, they are believing that all things should be from them, through them, and to them or for them.”
“Pride is competitive towards others, and especially toward God. Pride wants to be on top.” Thomas Watson: “Pride seeks to ungod God.”
Pride also manifests itself through self-pity, and those who are “self-absorbed with a sense of failure.” These people of “self-pity” are focusing on their own selves too much. This too is pride. They are not concerned with the glory of God, they are focused on how they think they have gotten the “raw deal” or they’re not ”as good as” someone else.
“Self-pitying, people desperately want to be good, not for the glory of God, but for themselves. They want to do things for and by their own power and might for the personal recognition. They want everyone to serve them, like them, and approve of them.” When this is not accomplished, they’re more inwardly focused and self-absorbed.
To sum it all up, proud people believe that life is all about them—their happiness, their accomplishments, and their worth”
Definition of Pride: The mindset of self (a master’s mindset rather than that of a servant): a focus on self and the service of self, a pursuit of self-recognition and self-exaltation, and a desire to control and use all things for self.
[1] Notes from the pamphlet “From Pride to Humility: A Biblical Perspective” by Stuart Scott.
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