Pride....

Third carryover blog...

...comes before a fall.  Right?  Almost.  This is another oft misquoted Bible scripture.  The actual verse says the consequence of pride is much more serious.  Pride leads to destruction.  If you fall, generally you can pick yourself back up, or if the fall is bad, somebody else can help you back up.  But how do you come back from destruction?  I can assure you, it is much harder, my friend.

What should be said of pride?  Well, first off, I don't think all pride is necessarily bad.  For example, I am proud of my wife when she stands up for herself.  I'm proud of my parents for the wonderful job they did in raising me and the love that they show for each other.  One day, I hope to have children, and I am certain I will have pride in them.  Is that pride wrong, or evil?  I don't think so.  But there is another kind of pride that can tear your life apart.

The kind of pride that can do the most damage, I think, is the pride that leads you to think of yourself as better than you really are.  Probably the most damaging form is when somebody is so proud that they cannot admit when they have done wrong.  Sometimes, the most difficult thing for a person to do, is utter three simple words (two if you use the contraction), "I'm sorry," or, "I was wrong."  We are so quick to find fault in others, and will rarely look inward to see if there was anything that we have done to wrong that person.  When a couple argues, or a family fights, it is rarely, if ever, the complete fault of just one person.  If a person's action were immoral, or illegal, this does not excuse their behavior.  A perceived fault by one person, whether real or not, is no excuse to commit another wrong against that person because of it.  For example, if a wife cheats on her husband because she feels he is not meeting her emotional needs, the husband may be at fault for not meeting his wife's needs, but that does not excuse the wrong the wife committed in cheating.  I just wanted to be clear on that point.

My point is, that when a person is so proud that they cannot look inwardly, to even attempt to find what they may be at fault for, it destroys lives, destroys families, and destroys relationships.  As I've said before, and I know I'll say again, on this side of forever, relationships are the most important thing we have.  If we're so proud that we can't admit we're wrong, or admit when we need help, then that will eventually destroy us.  So try looking through the lens of the other person.  What do you think they are seeing?  Maybe, if you try that, it will make looking through your own lens even clearer.