Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

Have you had a slice of humble pie lately?  “Swallowing your own pride seldom leads to indigestion,” said an unknown pundit.

The Bible leaves no question about where God stands in relationship to what He loves and what He hates.  Here’s something He hates: pride (Proverbs 6:16-19).  Could it be that pride is so distasteful to God because pride is taking credit for something that someone else has really done, and usually, that Someone is God?

Two passages in the Old Testament of the Bible speak of the pride that led to the fall of Satan, who at one time was an archangel in the presence of God.  Satan said, “…I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God… I will make myself like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14).  But no one competes with God.

Someone said that pride often comes in three forms:  pride of race, pride of face, and pride of grace.  The first, pride of race, is simply the sin of racism, the unbiblical belief in genetic superiority, something we aren’t born with but quickly acquire from our parents and peers.

A second kind of pride deals with arrogance, or the feeling that you’re better looking, smarter or more talented than the next person. It’s easy to fall prey to this pride.

A third kind of pride–pride of grace–is the mistaken belief that you’re more spiritually correct than others–your way of worshipping God is right, and others are wrong, etc. etc.

Scripture is right: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). God hates pride.  So, go ahead and swallow it!