OVERCOME THE PRIDE OF LIFE (2)

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” – Philippians 2:3

Whoever embraces the Mind of Christ and walks in obedience to His Word will readily OVERCOME THE PRIDE of LIFE: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phi.2:3-5). Our Lord Jesus Christ taught and personified humility. When we follow His footsteps, we’re guaranteed to overcome the Pride of Life.

The lust of the flesh relates to wrong focus of our desires on things that appeal to fleshly feelings, such as food, drink, leisure, sex, rest, enjoyment, comfort. The lust of the eyes includes what appeals to our sight, such as, beauty, attractiveness, or glamour; feeling compelled to possess the things we see, including lusting after what we should avoid, such as pornography. The pride of life is the result of and the means by which the other two lusts are kept alive and active. It is the culmination of the sin of idolatry: loving what we’ve accomplished, accumulated or attained more than anything else. It’s about self-exaltation, thinking that what we have and what we are is of our own doing.

The pride of life is hunting after honours, titles, and pedigrees; boasting of ancestry, family connections, great positions, or elite contacts. It refers to anything that tends to promote pride, or that is an index of pride, such as arrogant assumptions, ostentatious, vainglorious display of possessions, or power obtained by unlawful means, or exercised in an arrogant and oppressive manner. It relates to the ambitious pursuit of the pomp and glory of the world, vain applause, the unmerited and hyped praise and observance of other men, that are utterly abhorring to God, and are the mere baits of the world. This vainglory of life could be pride in possessions, financial means, property, or livelihood.

The pride of life is rooted in one’s choice to chase the things of the world over leaning into and following God. Such pursuit can assume different forms. For example, the pride of life can relate to a self-centred opinion of one’s own life, identity, merit, achievements, power, or possessions. This sin is fuelled by worldly wisdom that tempts us to focus on self above God and other people. Sometimes, pride of life may be obvious to others, as the person is clearly arrogant, boastful, and condescending. However, far more often, it could be subtle, pervasive, and insidious. For example, we might have a secret habit of comparing ourselves with others because we want to be ‘better’ than them in some way. Or, we may seem humble on the outside, but inside we are tempted to inordinately seek praise, honour, and worldly success.

Whether outwardly or inwardly expressed, this desire for places of dignity, high titles, all the honour, glory, and splendour of the world, which tends to gratify pride, contradicts the Lord’s teachings about staying humble and having a servant’s heart and attitude: “everyone that exalts himself shall be abased; and he who humbles himself shall be exalted” (Lk.18:14). Indulging in the pride of life effectively turns one away from God (1Jh.2:15). It distracts us with worldly desires and blinds us from leading lives that truly honour what God has called us to be.

To actively practice the pride of life is to disobey God: “When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom” (Pro.11:2); “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Pro.16:18). In contrast, God blesses and honours the humble: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (Jam.4:6). Following Christ and imbibing His Mind, means staying humble before God and towards others; thinking of our own interests less as we shift focus towards loving God and others more (vv.3-4). This implies putting God and reverence for His Word at the centre of our lives. These are the main keys to overcoming the Pride of Life.