Pride keeps thousands away from Christ

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: My wife had a career dropped in her lap out of nowhere and this once gracious and sweet person has become full of power and pride. It’s putting a strain on our relationship and she’s all but forgotten her first responsibility as a wife and mother. She demands the red carpet treatment at home just as she gets from her career. At first, I was glad she had been rewarded but I fear that she’s losing sight of what she once knew, that God hates those who walk in a prideful way. I pray she will come to her senses.

– H.P.

A: There’s a difference in someone taking pride in their work and someone being prideful. Being proud of a good day’s work is different from being proud at the expense of another. In almost every instance in the Bible, pride is associated with failure, not success.

We hear a great deal about the inferiority complex, but the superiority complex of pride is seldom spoken of. Pride keeps thousands away from Christ as they ponder what their friends will think if they live a life surrendered to God. Jesus said, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12). The entrance to the kingdom of Heaven is gained through coming to Christ with a humble spirit, not a spirt of pride.

The greatest act of humility in the history of the universe was when Jesus stooped to die on the cross. Anyone desiring to follow Jesus must first kneel at the cross and acknowledge sin, admitting that they’ve broken the commands of God and that they need the grace of God in Christ alone. This can only happen when a person is humble and repentant. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Pride comes from looking only at ourselves; humility comes through looking at God.