whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc."
It is also the state of being or feeling proud. There is not a thing wrong with being proud of oneself. However, when you let it take the place of other things, especially God's will or way, you've got a problem.
Pride is associated with being stubborn.
I think there are two ways to be prideful.
You can think too much of yourself and you can think not enough of yourself.
I have been guilty of both.
Why do we allow this to creep into our hearts?
A lot of times, it's the enemy's way of keeping us where he wants us.
If you are full of yourself, you aren't full of God.
If you are down on yourself, you aren't honoring God's creation.
We need to find a good balance and stay there.
The writer of Proverbs was King Solomon. He asked God for wisdom and God blessed him abundantly with it. Here are a few of those nuggets of wisdom:
Proverbs 11: 2 "Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."
Proverbs 13:10 "Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise."
Proverbs 16:18 "Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall."
Proverbs 29:23 "Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor."
Do you struggle with pride? Maybe you do and you didn't even know it. For a long long time, I looked down on myself. I never felt good enough for some stuff and too much for others. I had a low self esteem and struggled with my thought life about myself. Someone mentioned to me that it was reverse pride. I was shocked. I do not want to be a prideful person in any form or fashion.
The key was, loving myself.
That's what we all need to do. If you love you, in a right balanced kind of way, then your life won't be so wishy washy. Living for God, and keeping Him first in your heart is a way to do that. Realizing your value and where it comes from is another huge factor in all of this.
If you struggle with this, ask God for help. He will help you. I promise.
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