The Scriptures have a lot to say about pride. Most of the verses and passages criticize and denounce pride. There are many more verses on this topic in addition to those that I’ve shared below.
- To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. (Prov 8:13 NIV)
- When pride comes, then comes shame . . . (Pro 11:2)
- By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom. (Pro 13:10)
- The Lord detests all the proud of heart. be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. (Pro 16:5 NIV)
- Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. 19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. (Pro 16:18-19)
- But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (Jas 4:6)
The Lord doesn’t want us to have a haughty and proud attitude towards other people. He never approves of us feeling that we are better or more valuable than another individual. This is the kind of pride that God sets Himself against because it puffs us up and blinds us to our own faults. This is the pride that cuts us off from other people. No one chooses to be around or to befriend a supercilious, self-important person.
We are allowed to recognize and receive satisfaction from our own work and our accomplishments as long as we recognize that they make us no more valuable than anyone else, and that God blessed us and enabled us to accomplish them.
Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else . . . (Gal 6:4 NIV)
The Bible says, I know that there is nothing better for people than to … find satisfaction in all their toil—this is a gift of God. (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13).
The pride that cuts us off from other people displeases God because He has a different vision for His people. His plan is for us to work in unity and harmony, carrying one another’s burdens, and serving Him with excellence and joy together. (Rom 12:6; 1 Cor 13:4; Col 3:23; Gal 6:2-3)
An even worse outgrowth of poisonous pride is that it cuts us off from God, Himself! When the enemy persuades us to be conceited and proud, we no longer feel that we need anyone else; so pride causes us to turn away from God.
In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. (Ps 10:4 NIV) This is a catastrophic state of affairs.
Rather, let us humbly thank God for giving us talents and abilities; and determine to use what we have received to bring glory and honor to God.
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