I am currently in an Old Testament Survey class, and we just finished studying the book of Proverbs. Our teacher assigned to us a homework project where we could each choose a theme or topic that is prevalent in Proverbs, find and compile all of the verses related to that, and write a summary of what the verses state about said topic. As you know, this book of Wisdom has 31 chapters, with a wide variety of themes, so narrowing down which one I was going to study made me pause…. The way I selected the topic was by asking myself which one did I personally need to study because I could relate most to it. The final answer was PRIDE. (A subject I actually have to pray about nearly every day!).

After going through all of Proverbs, reading and gathering the 41 verses I thought related to pride, I came up with a list of characteristics for both pride and its polar opposite: humility.

Comparison – Pride vs. Humility:

  • obstinate vs. flexible
  • judgmental vs. discerning
  • struts in vanity vs. walks in modesty
  • wants/craves attention vs. focus on others
  • selfish/self-serving vs. generous and altruistic
  • demands and expects vs. easy-going and hopeful
  • scoffs, ridicules and insults vs. compliments and praises
  • refuses blame and shame vs. accepts faults and tries to improve
  • hides/conceals flaws/mistakes vs. takes ownership, admits and repents
  • wants blessings and praise vs. gives blessing and praises others
  • superior and arrogant vs. submissive and lowly/unpretentious
  • self esteem issues vs. confidence, self respect, dignity
  • opinionated and dogmatic vs. open-minded
  • doesn’t fear the Lord vs. fears the Lord
  • points fingers vs. takes responsibility
  • won’t listen vs. receptive
  • haughty vs. humble

So, how many of these prideful actions or responses can you personally relate to? Yeah, I know. Me too. Far too many.

The good news is it doesn’t require a college degree, being a part of a Bible study, or being older to start practicing humility. All you need to do is turn away from pride and go the other way. That is repentance. Changing your direction, your goal. If your current goal is to gain ‘stuff’, or knowledge, or more friends, or look better to others, or not to let others see your imperfections or mistakes, then it is time to reread that list, and begin working on the characteristics of the right side. But this process starts in your heart, and with your will. Ask the Lord to help you, but be prepared for opportunities to work on these shortcomings, immediately! You do know who can help you work on it though, right? Yes, the Holy Spirit. He has been helping me too, though I am still a work in progress.

GOD’s response to pride and humility according to Proverbs:
To the prideful – weighs their heart, scorns them, hates their haughty eyes, hates their pride and arrogance, hates their way of evil, sees them as an abomination, will break them beyond healing, will punish them, will bring them down, will make them fall in destruction.
To the humble – weighs their heart, gives them favor, grants them wisdom, gives them riches, honor and life.

As you can see, the Lord loves the right side of this comparison list, and truly hates the left side. I for one do not want to be on the side that He hates! Thus, my praying nearly every day about this very subject!

My daughter and I were talking the other day about men. She was telling me what she sees as attractive about a guy and what she doesn’t like. I told her that the #1 thing that makes me see an incredibly handsome man as not being handsome is when he is arrogant, prideful, or conceited. This haughty, ugly attitude trumps his good looks. The most attractive man (or woman) is one who has more inner beauty that radiates outward in what he says or does, which others see and greatly admire.

Humility comes from a beautiful heart, and pride comes from an ugly heart.

My final summary from this study:
“Pride is the thorny vine from which most bad fruits of sin sprout and grow. Pride is self-serving, focusing on its appearances and own will, soon revealing the ugliness of one’s heart.
Humility hears wisdom, responds with discernment, and respectfully puts others before self, because it fears the Lord the most.”
– Kari Wiseman

Food for thought: “A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves.” – Henry Ward Beecher.
“A man given to pride is usually proud of the wrong thing.” – Henry Ford.

Fun facts: Male peacocks and peafowls have brilliantly colored blue and green tail feathers. They use them to attract a female mate by fanning them out, and rattling them. The females see and hear those feathers shake during the male’s strut and display. The more colorful the image and noisy the dance, the more attractive they are.

Photo by: Kari Wiseman – Peacock Feather

*** EXTRA EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT! ***

1:22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?

3:34 Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.

6:3 Then do this, my son, and save yourself: Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor, Go, humble yourself, and be urgent with your neighbor to free yourself. (NAS)

6:16-17 There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue..

8:13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

9:7-8 He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, and he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you, Reprove a wise man and he will love you.

11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.

11:12 Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent.

12:9 Better to be lowly and have a servant than to play the great man and lack bread.

12:15-16 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.

12:23 A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly.

13:1 A wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

13:7 One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

13:10 By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom.

15:25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud, but maintains the widow’s boundaries.

15:33 The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

16:5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.

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

17:5 Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

18:11 A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination.

18:12 Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.

19:20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.

20:14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts.

20:29 The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.

21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.

21:4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin.

21:24 “Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride.

22:4 The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.

23:22-23 Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.

25:6-7 Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great, for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.

25:14 Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.

25:27 It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory.

26:5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.

26:12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

27:1-2 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

27:19 As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.

28:11 A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has understanding will find him out.

29:1 He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.

29:23 One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.

30:12-13 There are those who are clean in their own eyes, but are not washed of their filth. There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift!

30:32 If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth.

To scoff: to speak to someone or about something in a scornfully derisive or mocking way.
The simple: an immature, easily misled person who lacks good judgment and understanding.