PRIDE

Pride

Toni Babcock

The late great Charles Haddon Spurgeon once wrote: 

“Pride is so natural to fallen human beings that it springs up in the heart like weeds in a watered garden. 

We may hunt down this fox and think we have destroyed it, but our exultation is pride. 

None have more pride than those who dream that they have none.” 

The Spirit of God cannot flow in the swollen channels of pride. 

It may be difficult to detect in ourselves, but others can see it quite well.

The Apostle Peter reminds us 

“All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble,” 

(1 Peter 5:5b CSB). 

We should ask why choose pride over humility? 

Wouldn’t it be better to receive grace from God than his resistance? 

Choosing pride is choosing our concerns over God’s concerns. 

The Apostle Peter learned this the hard way. 

When Jesus began to teach his disciples he was going to suffer many things and be rejected and killed and then rise again — Peter pulled him aside and began to rebuke him. 

“Oh no Lord, this will never happen to you!” he argued. 

Jesus turned and said, 

“Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me because you’re not thinking of God’s concerns but human concerns.” 

(Matthew 16:21-23 CSB)

Peter was unknowingly acting at the behest of Satan by attempting to keep Jesus from going to the cross to die for the sins of mankind. 

Jesus had to show him what was at stake. 

He had to humble him. 

How often do we put our concerns over God’s concerns? 

He may have to humble us like Peter, too.

Toni M. Babcock is author of The Stone Writer, and Reflections from the Heart. Contact