There is no such thing as good pride. I know in the modern society we live in, we have made pride some sort of virtue. But there is nothing virtuous about pride. In the book of Proverbs there’s a list of 10 things God hates: a prideful look is number one. Pride is the original sin. It was the sin Lucifer committed.
Pride always focuses back to self. “Look what I’ve done, look what I’ve accomplished” is the cry of pride. Thankfulness, or gratefulness, always acknowledges someone else. Think about it: You may say, “I’m proud of my children” or “I’m proud of my education” or even “I’m proud of my accomplishments”. But what is that really saying? “I was the one who raised these children, see what a good job I did?”.
Being thankful on the other hand, always points to someone else. “I’m thankful God gave me such wonderful children” or “I’m thankful for such wonderful children”. Your education is the same, “I’m thankful that I had such wonderful professors in college”.
Let’s face it, you did nothing in a vacuum. You had help with those kids, you had help getting that education, you had help with every one of those accomplishments. Being thankful acknowledges those who helped you get where you are. And most importantly, it helps you avoid the pitfalls of pride, after all, the Bible says, “Prides goes before a fall.”
I am most thankful that I have this wonderful family that is better than I deserve. My wife and I have been together 37 years; we have two children who are both doing very well in life. God has truly blessed me beyond measure. There’s not a day goes by that I don’t take a moment to give thanks for what I have. And how can I forget Max and Lucie, my two fantastic dogs. They are such a blessing to us.
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