|
"The Lord hates . . . a proud look" (Prov 6:16-17).
The book of Proverbs shows that the heavens
shudder when a mortal looks down his nose at a brother. God sees us
when we assume that our interests and pains give us a right to
disregard the interests and pains of others. His emotions are aroused
when we act as though we are the center of the universe, when we
assume that we exist for our own enjoyment, or when we rely on our
natural instincts rather than taking pains to pursue the wisdom and
knowledge of God.
Warning about the danger of assuming the
rightness of our own thoughts and interests, Solomon said:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and
lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear
the Lord and depart from evil (3:5-7).
The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride
and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate (8:13).
When pride comes, then comes shame; but with
the humble is wisdom (11:2).
By pride comes nothing but strife, but with
the well-advised is wisdom (13:10).
Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to
the Lord; though they join forces, none will go unpunished (16:5).
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty
spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,
than to divide the spoil with the proud (16:18-19).
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the hearts (21:2).
A haughty look, a proud heart, and the plowing
of the wicked are sin (21:4).
A man's pride will bring him low, but the
humble in spirit will retain honor (29:23).
There is a generation that is pure in its own
eyes, yet is not washed from its filthiness. There is a
generation--oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are
lifted up (30:12-13). The word pictures and wise sayings of the book
of Proverbs show why God hates a proud look. Pride makes a fool of
those who possess it. It results in self-deception, for it creates an
exaggerated sense of one's own importance or abilities. Pride results
in disagreement with God and reflects an unwillingness to trust Him.
Pride removes a basis for relationship with God (see James 4:6). It
results in personal embarrassment, broken hearts, and destruction.
In contrast, the eyes of humility lead to
honor. Humility prompts us to offset our own tendency toward
self-deception by seeking the wisdom of God and the counsel of
others. Humility is practical. It provides a basis for relationship
with the God who is able to help us and who is able to keep us from
falling into all kinds of dishonor.
SEEING GOD
God is watching the way we look at others. In
a list of the things God hates, the first one mentioned is pride. God
values humility because He knows what pride does to us and because He
knows that humility puts us in touch with Him, others, and ourselves.
What God means by humility is seen by the way Christ served His
Father and His disciples.
SEEING OURSELVES
We are inclined to have an exaggerated sense
of our own opinions and interests, and a diminished awareness of the
needs of others. Because of our tendency toward pride, we need the
cross, the Spirit, and the example of Christ.
Curtis
|
