Our adversary knows the tremendous destructive power of self-promotion or PRIDE, for it is what led to his own downfall. He became intoxicated with his own beauty and seeming perfection that he began to think of himself as superior to all, including God. His pride ruined him. So, he knows the devastating power of conceit. He attempts to use it to puff us up, to swell our heads, to throw out our chests, and eventually blow up our lives so that we come apart at the seams, deflating us, and destroying those around us. So, why is pride so devastating? Pride first of all blinds us to our own spiritual needs. The worst kind of pride is spiritual pride, when we think we are better than everyone else. Pride also blinds us to our vulnerability to sin. In our pride we say, "I would never do that!" Our pride also blinds us to the needs of others for we think that the world revolves around us. We fail to see hurting, needy people around us. Beware of the trap of pride! |
