Pride Vs Thanksgiving

Scripture Verse that Caught My Attention Today: Ezekiel 28:5 By your great wisdom in trade
you have increased your wealth,
and your heart has become proud in your wealth.

Observation: The problem wasn’t really the wealth so much as the pride in the wealth. That makes it a false god.

Application: There is such a fine but important line between pride and simple thanksgiving. Pride in one’s own accomplishments tends to create division—self-perception of me vs them.

“I did this, whereas they were only able to do that…so there!”

This type of thinking, however subtly disguised, is most certainly natural but not particularly helpful. It’s definitely not loving and tends to reveal false securities as well. For example, would someone who has ‘accomplished’ whatever it is that he or she has accomplished suddenly think less of him or herself if it was all suddenly taken away?

Our mind plays tricks on us. The mind can convince us that we are better than we really are and it can also convince us that we are worse than we really are. Either extreme is a travesty.

Only in Christ can we see ourselves for who we really are—sinners who are nevertheless marked by the cross of Christ and claimed by this crucified and risen one to live our lives rooted in him…seeing our ultimate value in relation to what he has done for us and continues to do for us.

In such things there is no room for pride, though there is plenty of room for expressions of thanksgiving.

Prayer: Lord, help us to let go of our pride and claim our reasons for thanksgiving. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: Ezekiel 25-28 and Revelation 10)