September 15, 2024
Pride is possibly the one sin that God hates most. I am not talking about the pride you take in a job well done or the pride you have for your grandchildren. That kind of pride is innocent and even good. What God hates is the kind of pride in which one feels better than someone else.
This is the pride that makes people look down on and even scorn others. This type of pride results in hatred of people who are different or who do not measure up to one’s expectations. What these proud people forget is their own flaws and foibles. The Bible clearly tells us that there are no truly good people on earth. And there never has been except for one: Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ of God. In Romans 3:10-12, the Apostle Paul tells us, “As it is written, None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
Pride is the sin that engenders wars, thefts, murders, hatred, and all manner of evil. Wars are the simple result of one group wanting the land or wealth of another. They see no wrong in taking by force what is not theirs. Without pride, there would be no war, and the world would be a better place. But Satan sees to it that evil continues. And it will continue until the Lord returns to establish His Kingdom on earth.
We see the greed of leaders who invade other countries to acquire their land. Greed is a result of pride and love of things other than God. Love of anything other than the Lord God is idolatry. And idolatry is a violation of God’s first commandment. Probably the most common idol in this country is money. So many people want to “Get rich quick.” Greed for money is what drives all lotteries. When you really think about it, for most people, who never win, a lottery is a voluntary tax, since it is sponsored by states.
However, the greatest and saddest thing about love of money is the destruction it does to the character of its human victims. Many people, who would not consider shoplifting or outright stealing, will engage in shady and even dishonest business dealings. We see a lot of greed when we visit stores, especially grocery stores. And one of the greatest and, I think, immoral cases of greed is observed in pharmacies and stores that sell medicines.
People sometimes die for lack of money to buy needed drugs. And I recognize that our country offers all kinds of help and handouts, but many people are too ignorant or helpless to avail themselves of such “freebies.”
You may ask, “How can people love money more than anything?” The simple answer again is pride. Too many people want money; and when they get a lot of money they then want power. And the love of power is another idol. The Bible makes clear God’s feelings about pride. In Proverbs 16:18, God tells us, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall”. He also reminds us, “Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility.” Pray that God will help us to rid ourselves of the wrong kind of pride and all forms of idolatry.
___
Ralph Fudge is the pastor of Big Ochlocknee Baptist Church in Coolidge, Ga., and has a Master’s degree in theology from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
