Christian Living

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Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. -Proverbs 16:18

How can you differentiate pride, haughtiness and arrogance?

Let's say someone says you have halitosis and you know it to be true. Pride is insisting you don't have halitosis while even going about as if it was your greatest asset. Haughtiness is taking pride to a higher level by eating garlic and onions to show you're unfazed by the criticism. Arrogance is all of the above and then putting your open mouth in someone's face and gasping out.

You might find those descriptions funny and I was trying to be. But the serious, underlying truth is there are people who simply cannot take criticism. They go from proud to arrogant. Worse, they even end up belligerent towards others. The sad thing is, it would be difficult to instill humility in this kind of people because they never knew it in the first place. So it's only God who can teach them, but sadder still is that it will be a very hard lesson for them to learn.

Thus it is imperative we learn humility now before pride subtly sets in. There are two ways we can do this. One is to ask forgiveness if there was a wrong done, for criticism may be hiding a deep hurt. Don't just say sorry as that can be said with pride. Asking forgiveness is to admit you committed a mistake.

Two, ask how amends can be made and then do them. If none are offered, make amends anyway with an act of kindness in a non-condescending way.

Criticism is one way that can keep us focused on God and his transforming grace. Or it can be a pit that can cause us to fall right smack into Satan's lap.

Your choice.

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