"Remember that pride is the worst viper that is in the heart, the greatest disturber of the soul's peace and sweet communion with Christ. It was the first sin that ever was, and lies lowest in the foundation of Satan's whole building. It is the most difficult to root out, and it is the most hidden, secret, and deceitful of all lust, and it often creeps in, insensibly, into the midst of religion and sometimes under the disguise of humility."
~ Jonathan Edwards, to a new convert to Christiantity in 1741
Pride is the most insidious sin. It takes so many different forms on the surface that it becomes difficult to trace back to the sin of pride. Pride shows up as boasting, of course. But is also shows up when we compare ourselves to others. It shows up when we make judgments about others and how they think, how they worship, how they act, or how their children act. It shows up as a critical spirit. It shows up as spreading bad reports (i.e. gossip). For students, it often shows up in how they view their grades and how the view the grades of others. For some Christians, it shows up as a critical spirit about others' lack of Biblical knowledge or theological understanding. For other Christians, it shows up as being critical of other Christians for their lack of authenticity or lack of missional focus. We are constantly comparing and judging, aren't we?
The most insidious form is when pride creeps in under the disguise of humility. That is the worst. False humility is when we put on the show of being humble when it fact, it is for the purpose of showcasing our spirituality. Pride is indeed a viper.
Lord, expose our pride. Enable us to see it, repent of it, and be set free.
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