Pride. The Great Sin.Sample

God says pride is a sin

“For from within, out of man's heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:21-23)

How often do we say to each other, 'You can be proud of yourself!' And that is true if by that we mean being satisfied with our achievements with the talents God gave us. When the Lord God had created the earth with all the plants, animals, and people on it, He saw that it was "very good" (Genesis 1:31). Likewise when we have done something good, we may call it that - though our achievements are never as perfect as the Lord God's. Satisfaction with one's results can go hand in hand with a thankful heart. It only becomes a problem when our achievements lead to arrogance and pride. God lists that attitude among the "evil things" that defile our hearts. For Jesus, pride fits seamlessly into the ranks of adultery, murder, and deceit. I find that shocking because I find murder far worse than pride. What do you think about that? Do you see some sins from this list worse than others? Would God make that difference, too?

C.S. Lewis writes, “Pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense.” Does this statement help you understand why God finds pride so abhorrent?