S20P3 – The obstacles to faith: pride

Prov. 8:13
To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

No man is an island. I’m sure we all have met people in our lives who shudder at the idea of receiving help from others. They want to do all things on their own and for themselves. They may feel that needing or accepting assistance from others is a sign of weakness or failure. Perhaps they feel that no one can do as well as they. This is neither confidence nor discipline but merely pride. It is the attitude that one is sufficiently powerful, skilled and independent that he or she has no need for anyone. Framed in this way, it is evident why pride stands in the way of faith.

One cannot come to Jesus Christ and accept him as savior without first acknowledging the need for a savior. It is a vulnerable position to occupy. But foundational to our faith in him is the truth that we can do nothing on our own. It is Jesus Christ who saves and on whom we rely for our great hope. Pride tells us that we can figure it all out on our own; faith tells us that we need a savior to make a way for us. Pride is founded on independence; faith is founded on dependence. If we cannot accept and confess that we need Jesus Christ, that we do not know it all and cannot save ourselves from the condition into which we have been born, we cannot come to a saving knowledge of him.

Our God is one who values humility. If we have any doubts about this, we only need to see the example that the Son set by submitting to the Father and coming to Earth to save us. It is this humility that we are called to exhibit when we come to Jesus in complete need for everything. Without this humility, without crucifying our pride, we cannot follow him. Father, continue to crucify the pride that lies within us, and teach us daily to walk more and more in the humility that your Son has shown as our example.