There is a sin which so easily entangles us, which distorts our perceptions more than any other, and which cuts us off from grace and from one another. That sin is pride.
Pride is the anti-God state of mind. It is the view of oneself as the center, the standard, the purpose of the universe — the hub of reality around which all else must turn. In pride, we look down on God and our fellow creatures — fitting all things into our own scheme. Pride blinds us to our faults and compromises, makes us deaf to criticism however justified, and pushes away love however freely offered. It makes us seek not God’s will but our own glory.
Yet beneath that loud face of pride lies a cowardice, an insecurity, a fear. For deep down we doubt our own worth, and so we seek to magnify ourselves through conquest or esteem. A proud man is always waiting for an apology, even when none is due. Pride whispers that we are special, we are entitled, we deserve more. But all these things come only from God as gifts — never as something earned or demanded.
Walk in humility. See yourself as God sees you — a beloved child, not the center of all things. And see others likewise, with kindness and compassion. Let love cast out the pride that separates us and lays waste to so much good. Turn to God, confess your sin, and walk in the light of His countenance and grace. For even the smallest act of humility before Jesus can break the chains of pride.
Such is the power of that lowly path which leads at last to joy.
