The New American Webster Handy College Dictionary defines pride as “a sense of one’s own worth.”
It also means “a feeling of object of delight.” For winning the acting awards for her performance in Miss Saigon, Lea Salonga became the pride of the Filipino people. When it comes to boxing, it’s Manny Pacquiao.
But in some way, the word pride has some negative connotation. That is why the dictionary also has this definition of pride: “undue self-esteem; haughtiness.” It is even more obvious if you use its adjective form of proud. The dictionary gives these meanings: “arrogant, self-respectful, imposing, spirited.”
“Pride is the only disease known to man that makes everyone sick except the one who has it,” Buddy Robinson stated. C.S. Lewis is more apt: “A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you’re looking down, you can’t see something that’s above you.”
I was reminded of the story of Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master as he was a valiant solder. But he had leprosy, which was one of the worst known diseases during Biblical times.
And it came to pass that a young girl from Israel was captured. Serving Naaman’s wife, the girl told her:
“If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
The wife told her husband. Naaman sent a letter to the king of Israel and asked Elisha to cure him.
When the Lord’s prophet heard this, he sent a messenger who told Naaman: “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”
Jordan river was very dirty and this made Naaman angry. “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the sport and cure me of my leprosy.”
He requested that he cleansed himself in one of the rivers of Damascus.
But the instruction was definite. So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, and his flesh was restored and became clean “like that of a young boy.” (Read the whole story in II Kings 5:1-19).
Had Naaman not stripped himself of his pride, he would have never been cleansed.
Power is one of those that make a person proud and boastful. Or being at the top of the world can also bring out someone to belief on himself more than others. But as they say, no one stays at the top forever. Whatever happened to the boxer who said that he was the greatest?
Being beautiful or handsome is no guarantee that you will always be such. Even the awards and honors you have harvested accumulated through the years won’t bring you far. The wealth will also vanish in a wink of an eye.
Pride is a vice not limited to the emperors of far-flung realms. Almost anyone, by comparing himself with those who have less talent, less success, or less popularity, can emerge with a feeling of satisfaction that is very opposite of humility.
Pride is all too common among God’s people – though He warns them specifically that no one has anything to boast about, since all our gifts come from Him.
“For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (I Corinthians 4:7).
Humility is the other side of pride. “I believe that the first test of a truly great man is his humility,” commented John Ruskin. “I do not mean by humility, doubt of his own power. But really great men have a curious feeling that the greatness is not in them, but through them. And they see something divine in every other man and are endlessly, foolishly, incredibly merciful.”
A stooped old man and a lively young man happened to meet one day. The young man bragged to the old timer, “Why don’t you walk straight, like me? That’s no way to grow old. It’s all a matter of habit – at least, that’s what I am told.”
The old man gave him a look of pity and replied, “My dear young friend, have you ever examined a grain field and noticed which heads are bent and which ones stand up straight?
If you take a good look as harvest time draws near, you will notice that the heads which are empty are standing tall and high. But the heads that make a good harvest are the ones that are filled and bending low.”
Here’s another story: A third grade boy had won a medal as the best reader in class. Puffed with pride, he boasted to the maid at home, “Let’s see if you can read as well as I can, Manang.”
The good woman took the book, looked at it closely, and finally stammered, “Why, my little boy, I don’t know how to read.”
Proud as a peacock, the little fellow ran into the living room and fairly shouted to his father, “Dad, Manang doesn’t know how to read and I, only eight years old, got a medal for reading. I wonder how she feels while looking at the book she cannot read.”
Without a word, his father went over to the bookshelf, took down a volume, and handed it to the boy, saying, “She feels like this.” The book was in French and the boy could not read a line of it.
The boy never forgot that lesson. Whenever he feels like boasting, he quietly reminds himself, “Remember, you can’t read French.”
And remember this: you cannot always be powerful, beautiful and young forever!
For comments, write me at henrytacio@gmail.com
