Scripture warns, “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall” - (Proverbs 16:18).

Have you ever considered whether you are proud or not?

The dictionary defines pride as the feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.

Pride is not necessarily bad.  Someone taking pride in their work no matter how lowly or highly others might regard it, and who therefore goes an extra mile to ensure creativity and excellence is to be admired.

The problem with pride is that the sense of achievement no matter how it has been achieved often makes people losing clear perspective and they become arrogant, self-entitled, superior and insensitive to others; forgetting to recognize God’s grace in everything. Often, this leads one to a downward path of destruction. “The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled),”Isaiah 2:12

Samson was set apart by God, to deliver the people of Israel from the Philistines. But for most of his life he ignored God and followed his passions. He strode around proudly with the massive hair God had bestowed upon him as a source of strength for his task, heaping praise on himself for his exploits against the Philistines and any person that crossed him. He felt invincible, until he was double crossed by the lovely but deceitful Delilah; leading to the loss of his mane (the outward sign of God’s covenant with him). “Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison.” Judges 16:21

It was only then that he realized the value of God in His life.

Whatever we have, be they natural talents, learned abilities or spiritual gifts, all come from to us through grace. They are God’s undeserved favour to us, meant to glorify God by the fulfilment of His purpose for us and not for self-elevation.

How much do you daily recognize the extent of God’s grace in your life?

“Let us watch against pride in every shape - pride of intellect, pride of wealth, pride in our own goodness, and pride in our own deserts. Nothing is so likely to keep a man out of heaven, and prevent him seeing Christ, as pride. So long as we think we are something, we shall never be saved.” - J. C. Ryle