Lenten Devotional Day Fourteen
Pride is the last of the deadly sins1 and the one which C.S. Lewis2 termed "spiritual cancer."
James tells us that "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6). St. John Cassian observed that the evil of pride is so great that God himself is its adversary. Having God as an adversary is a terrible thought and yet, even in genuine service to others, we retain the itch for recognition.
Jesus tells us that "whoever humbles himself like [a] child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:4 (NIV)). But what does this look like practically? A child is open to learning--they know they don't have all the answers. They have no authority, and they know they are not in control. Children are not free of pride, but they are more likely to be humble, trusting and joyful.
C.S. Lewis described a humble man as someone who comes across as “a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.”
Digging Deeper:
Matthew Henry said, “Humility is a lesson so hardly learned, that we have need by all ways and means to be taught it.” Think of one specific way you have been taught humility? Did that lesson transform you permanently or do you find yourself needing more? Why is that?
Pride is competitive in nature. Lewis said, “We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer or better-looking than others.” Where is this true for you?
Lewis again: “In God you come up against something which is every respect immeasurably superior to yourself. Unless you know God as that— and, therefore, know yourself as nothing in comparison — you do not know God at all. As long as you are proud you cannot know God.” How does the culture’s “you are enough”3 messaging conflict with Lewis’s premise? Which is true?
Although there is ample biblical support for each of the deadly sins, the list was compiled by the early church. It is not meant to be a complete list of sins in general, but a list of sins that are pervasive and deaden our relationship with God Almighty. Of course, none is deadly in the eternal sense--thanks to Christ’s atoning sacrifice.
I highly recommend reading all of Mere Christianity, but the “The Great Sin” chapter will only take you a few minutes.
I think the “you are enough” mantra misses the point. Enough? You are of infinite worth, and, as a believer, a beloved child of the One True King. “Enough” is a terrible understatement. But even though this is true, we cannot appreciate how Mighty and Loving and Sacrificial our King is if we do not also increasingly understand that He is immeasurably superior, that by comparison we are nothing.