Thoughts on the topic of pride from the book of wisdom
The book of Proverbs has much to say about the topic of pride. Let’s dive into the wisdom of Proverbs for a few moments.
Let’s read a verse and consider the message.
Proverbs 8:13 ESV – The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.
In the first post on pride in this series of Proverbs, I spoke of the characteristic of the fool despising wisdom and instruction from Proverbs 1:7. I went on to speak of the need of humility for both the giver and the receiver of instruction.
In this post, knowing the convoluted way of justifying sin in my mind, I may use Proverbs 8:13 to be justification to reject any counsel provided, by classifying it as evil. After all, personal rebuke can be a painful experience to receive, and surely God loves me enough to keep me from experiencing any pain! (Did you hear my sarcasm?)
Let us be open to people, to those who may care deeply, and even to those we suspect may not have the best motivations for our benefit.
Pride, arrogance and the way of bad speech may be hated by the believer – nay in this verse it is described as to be hated, but it is no reason for use to reject considering the message being delivered.
An evil man, full of pride and arrogance may still deliver truth to the saint. To reject that would bring me into an attitude of pride myself.
Consider Matthew 23:1-3 for an example of accepting truth though delivered by an evil man.
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
We are instructed to hate evil, and as believer, the very nature of God will provide us this distaste, this abhorrence of evil. Yet in the midst of this hatred of evil, it does not provide us an opportunity to reject sayings that may be uncomfortable. Let not the resident pride that swells in our heart keep us from accepting a difficult truth that may come from the lips of an evil person.
For if we reject truth that may be delivered by a proud arrogant person, the very act of rejection may be exposing to us that we have joined him in his “pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech” which my very nature as a believer, is to hate.
Follow after the One who described Himself as meek and lowly of heart, even as you gently receive counsel from your brother.
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