Pride

Look up the following verses on pride. Write out what each verse says about pride.

Proverbs 16:5

Proverbs 26:12

Pride is idolatry. A proud man is a self-worshiper. The bible uses two different
categories for pride. The first is “blindness”. This category includes people who have a
high view of themselves. While they are “up there” on high in their own thinking, they
are blind to the truth of who they are. They don’t think realistically about their sin or they
measure their goodness against other people rather than God’s holiness.

The other form of pride is about “straining or stretching one’s neck”. This is the idea
that one holds his head up high because of his own great accomplishments. We
usually think “haughty or arrogant”. These people draw attention to their
accomplishments and take credit for all that is good. They do not give all credit to God
as the Giver of every good gift, including gifts and talents.

Scripture never tells us to consider ourselves more or to think more highly of ourselves.
Our world tells us to focus on self-esteem and think positive thoughts about yourself.
This is pride! Scripture tells us to stop focusing on ourselves or on what we want.

Warnings:
Proverbs 16:18

Philippians 2:3-4

Definition of Pride: The mindset of self: a focus on self and the service of self, a
pursuit of self-recognition and self exaltation, and a desire to control and use
things for self.
Focused on self
Self worship
Thomas Watson says “Pride seeks to ungod God”.

Self pity is the flip side of the coin. Someone who is self-absorbed with a sense of
failure is also prideful. They are consumed with thinking about themselves. They are
not concerned with the glory of God and with being thankful for what good gifts and
talents the Lord has given them, but are instead focused on what they think they should
have gotten. Self-pitying people desperately want to be good, not for the glory of God
but for themselves.

Prideful people believe that life is about them - their happiness, their accomplishments,
their worth.
 Manifestations of Pride

Next to each manifestation of pride, put a number ranking how often you
see this in your life.
5 - This is always present in my life.
4 - This is often present in my life.
3 - This is occasionally present in my life.
2 - This is seldom a problem for me.
1 - This is almost never a problem for me.

1. Complaining about circumstances. A proud person looks at their circumstances

2. A lack of thankfulness. Proud people think they deserve what is good. They see
no reason to be thankful because they have gotten what they deserve. 2
Chronicles 32:25

3. Anger. You might also define this as moody. A proud person gets angry, either
loud explosive anger or silent anger because his rights and expectations have
not been met. Matthew 20:1-16

4. Seeing yourself as better than others. A proud person is not tolerant of others
and is easily disgusted or looks down on others. Luke 7:36-50

5. Having a high view of your importance, gifts, or abilities. They have a wrong
perception of themselves. 1 Cor 4:7

6. Focused on your lack of gifts and abilities. This is the flip side of “pride” because
it is focused on self for a negative reason. It is a “woe is me” attitude. 1 Cor
12:14-25.

7. Perfectionism. People who want everything to be perfect often do it for

8. Talking too much. Proud people talk too much because they think everything
they have to say is more important than what others say. Proverbs 10:19
9. Talking too much about yourself. Proud people may center on themselves in
conversation. They share accomplishments or personal qualities about
themselves to impress others. Proverbs 27:2, Galatians 6:3

10. Seeking independence and control. Proud people do not like to submit to
authority. They want to do things their own way. They may be stubborn and
insist on their own way of doing things. 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, Eph 5:21

11. Consumed with what others think about you. Proud people think about what
others think about them. They may make decisions based on what others think
of them. They want to impress other people more than they want to please God.
Galatians 1:10

12. Devastated or angered by criticism. Proud people can’t bear the idea that they
are not perfect or have weaknesses. Proverbs 13:1

13. Being unteachable. Many proud people know it all. They can’t seem to learn
anything from someone else. Proverbs 19:20

14. Being sarcastic, hurtful or degrading. Proud people can be unkind to others.
They may put others down to raise themselves up. It may be done through
joking around and excuse it with “it’s just my personality”. Proverbs 12:18,23

15. Lack of service. Proud people may not serve because they are not thinking of
others. They may serve only to be noticed. Eph 2:10, Gal 5:13

16. Lack of compassion. Proud people are rarely concerned with others. They stay
focused on their own desires. Matthew 5:7

17. Being defensive or blame-shifting. Proud people explain away their sin or point
out other people’s sin that seems worse. Proverbs 12:1

18. Lack of admitting when you’re wrong. A proud person will use excuses like “I
was tired”, or “I was having a bad day”. Proverbs 10:17

19. Lack of asking forgiveness. Proud people don’t seek forgiveness because they
are blind to their own sin or won’t humble themselves before someone else.
Matthew 5:23-24
20. Lack of biblical prayer. Proud people focus their prayers on their desires rather
than on God’s desires and praying for others. Luke 18:10-14

21. Resisting authority or being disrespectful. A proud person doesn’t want to be told
what to do or be prevented from doing what they want. 1 Peter 2:13-17

22. Voicing preferences when not asked. A proud person shares his opinions and
preferences even when not asked. Philippians 2:1-4

23. Minimizing your own sin. Proud people think their sin is not a big deal. They
may focus on others’ sin which seems bigger. Matthew 7:3-5

24. Maximize the sin of others. The proud person thinks other people are the
problem. They may bring attention to others' sin through gossip. Luke 18:9-14

25. Being impatient or irritable. Proud people are concerned with their schedule and
their plans and get upset when things don’t go as planned. They are often
inflexible on preference issues. Eph 4:31-32

26. Jealous and envious. A proud person has a hard time being happy for others
success or blessings. 1 Cor 13:4

27. Using others. Proud people think about what others can do for them. Matthew
7:12

28. Covering up sins, faults, and mistakes. Proud people don’t want anyone to know
about their shortcomings. Proverbs 11:3, 28:13

29. Using attention-getting tactics. Proud people draw attention to themselves. 1

30. Not having close relationships. Proud people don’t have close relationships
because other people are more trouble than they’re worth. The may see
themselves as self-sufficient. Proverbs 18:1-2
Appropriate view of self:

We are very far beneath God and totally unworthy before Him. Psalm 8:1-4

We are not better or worse than others, because we are all desperately wicked and
totally incapable of anything worthwhile in God’s sight on our own. John 15:5

There is nothing that anyone has accomplished or possesses that they should take
credit for themselves. 1 Cor 4:7

We basically have no worth in and of ourselves, but God has given us (believers) a
place we do not deserve and has set His love on us anyway. Eph 2:4-7

God has rightly and wisely given everyone an allotment of ability that is to be used for
His glory and for the purposes He has planned. Eph 2:10