Billy Graham Defends Pride: It's Not Always Wrong
Pride. It's an emotion that often comes with negative connotations as one of the seven deadly sins, and has an inextricable link to the saying, "pride goes before destruction."
While that Bible proverb remains true, the Rev. Billy Graham wants to remind you that all pride isn't bad. In a response to a reader submitted question on Daily News Tuesday, the evangelist helps believers to maintain a clear distinction between the good and bad sides of pride.
You may wonder: What's wrong with being proud of a child's good report card, or of a decluttered garage, a freshly mowed lawn, or a newly painted canvas?
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"It's not necessarily wrong to take pride in something we've done well," Graham says. "This kind of pride isn't boastful or self-centered, but is a feeling of satisfaction over what we've accomplished."
The preacher goes on to say, "But sinful pride — the kind the Bible condemns — is far different. Sinful pride is self-centered and boastful, and makes us take credit for everything we are and everything we do."
Graham explains that this kind of pride causes believers to ignore God and think they can manage without Him, instead of realizing that they are dependent on Him. The Bible speaks against this kind of thinking in Ezekiel 28: 2: "In the pride of your heart you say, 'I am a god ...' But you are a mere mortal and not a god."
The evangelist says that sinful pride blinds individuals to their faults and to their need for God. A false sense of self-confidence and independence develops and "we see no reason to humble ourselves before God or seek His wisdom and help." Sinful pride leads to a dead-end road, warns Graham.
How do you avoid the pitfalls of pride? Graham says, " … face honestly your need for Christ's forgiveness, and for the new life He offers to all who humbly commit their lives to Him. God loves you, and life's greatest joy comes from knowing Christ and putting our lives and our futures into His hands."
