Some Costs Of Being Proud
Pride is an ugly thing (1 Cor 5:6, Barclay). It is unloving (1 Cor 13:4, NIV) and self-absorbed because a proud person fancies himself or herself to be their own ‘god’ (NIVSB note on Isa 2:10). It dethrones the Lord in our heart. Since God, like a warrior about to do battle, opposes those who are proud (Jas 4:6, Wuest), pride is also an expression of insanity, of madness. What sane person would want God Himself arrayed to fight us?
What are some other consequences to pride? A proud person is also guilty of such sins as inadequately responding to God and being ungrateful. God will punish us for pride and all other sinful expressions (2 Chr 32:25, NAB and Berkeley; 1 Cor 11:17-33). A proud person is indifferent to God because he or she acts as if the Lord really doesn’t matter (Ps 10:4, TEV). One consequence is that pride puts us outside the wall of God’s protection (Mt 23:37, CW). Thus, the proud person may have unnecessary struggles or grief as the Lord seeks to humble them through hardship (Ps 107:12, NCV; Prov 16:18, Rotherham). (Though God may also let the proud seemingly get away with being proud in this life to be humbled in the next [Ps 73:12-17] or He may have appointed hardship for someone who is faithful to Him [Heb 5:8]). A final result that will be mentioned is that pride leads to having problems in our relationships (Prov 13:10, BB).
Surely, pride is not worth it. We must get our focus off of ourselves and onto Him. We need to admit our dependence on Him (Jas 4:10, NLT) and beautify ourselves by humbly serving others as His Spirit directs us (1 Pet 5:5, Moffatt).
We are to be good stewards of the children God may give us.