Pride goes before destruction

The Holy Bible warns: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16: 18). There are more than 50 bible verses condemning pride. Jesus was the prime example of One who disdained pride. As Philippians 2: 8-11 states: “Jesus being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him a name that is above every name.” This passage closes accordingly: “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

Pride is one of the seven deadly sins. The other six are: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, and envy. Zeroing in on lust, which is the pitfall of many, commandment number 7 states: “You shall not commit adultery.” Adultery is specifically defined as the act of sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than his or her spouse, whether or not the other person is also married.  A 2021 survey by the Health Testing Center polled 441 people and reported:  over 46 percent of respondents, who were in a monogamous relationship, said they had affairs with the opposite sex. This means that nearly 24 percent of marriages were impacted by infidelity.

Keying on the subject of pride was Rev. Billy Kimbrel, pastor of the Marshallville United Methodist Church, who posted “Mother Teresa’s Humility List” in his Sunday church bulletin. The ten selected attributes chosen by Rev. Kimbrel were: 1. Speak as little as possible about yourself. 2. Keep busy with your own affairs and not those of others. 3. Do not interfere in the affairs of others. 4. Accept small irritations with good humor. 5. Do not dwell on the faults of others. 6. Accept censures even if unmerited. 7. Give in to the will of others. 8. Accept insults and injuries.9. Accept contempt, being forgotten and disregarded. 10. Be courteous and delicate even when provoked by someone. 

While traveling from Calcutta to Darjeerling, Mother Teresa heard the Voice of God and became moved to reach out to Calcutta’s poorest citizens. Her ministry blossomed into the formation of Charity Missionaries which operate today in many countries. Mother Teresa’s tireless efforts on behalf of God’s most vulnerable children made her the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. She became the example of millions worldwide who were devoted to the struggle for human life and dignity. On September 4, 2016, Mother Teresa became Saint Teresa of Calcutta. The Catholic Church celebrated her profound legacy and declared with joy her sainthood before the world. Her feast day is celebrated each year on September 5.  

Space does not permit covering all attributes listed by Mother Teresa, but we’ll address a few. With regard to numbers 8, 9, and 10, suggest taking a deep breath and be calm instead of snapping back. Later on, try responding with an act of kindness. Doing so could break the cycle of rudeness by allowing the other person to match your behavior. If this tactic doesn’t work, you can still be proud you didn’t succumb to negativity. Above all, avoid mean and toxic people to the extent possible. In His sermon on the mount, Jesus summed it up in one fell swoop: “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5: 44).