[6]
As we continue our discussion of our use of the term ‘pride’ and what God says about it from Part 1…..One result of our modern use of the word ‘pride’ is that we also think that the opposite of shame is pride (as in the quote above).
The next result of this belief that pride is the opposite of shame is that we think it’s pride we will need if we are going to be bold to stand for a belief or choice (as in the photo below of a billboard in Swaziland[7] reflecting an issue in Africa).
This is also maybe why the ‘gay’ (homosexual) movement has captured the word ‘pride’ to produce ‘gay pride’ and even one step further that ‘Pride’ has almost become synonymous with a ‘gay’ event or matter.
Maybe we need to recapture godly and biblical terminology which we are maybe overlooking, - terminology which we have but are neglecting to use to their full extent….words such as joy, thankfulness, privilege/honour, and courage.
If we don’t recapture these words and their appropriate use, we could be entrenching sinful perspectives instead of replacing sinful perspectives.
Let's be courageous enough to root out what hinders our hearts from having God's truth firmly planted, and thus what prevents us from bearing the fruit we are meant to. Let's renew our minds, so we are not conformed to the world but transformed in Christ!
If we take a closer look at Scripture, we soon discover there are godly ways to express those emotions which we commonly call pride. In fact I think there are at least 4 ways we can learn to express ourselves that are taught and exemplified in Scripture.
Maybe we need to recapture godly and biblical terminology which we are maybe overlooking, - terminology which we have but are neglecting to use to their full extent….words such as joy, thankfulness, privilege/honour, and courage.
If we don’t recapture these words and their appropriate use, we could be entrenching sinful perspectives instead of replacing sinful perspectives.
Let's be courageous enough to root out what hinders our hearts from having God's truth firmly planted, and thus what prevents us from bearing the fruit we are meant to. Let's renew our minds, so we are not conformed to the world but transformed in Christ!
If we take a closer look at Scripture, we soon discover there are godly ways to express those emotions which we commonly call pride. In fact I think there are at least 4 ways we can learn to express ourselves that are taught and exemplified in Scripture.
1. Pride vs Joy
Scripture tells us for example that God 'rejoices over us’ and ‘delights’ in us (eg Zephaniah 3:17), rather than 'is proud of us', when we honour and obey and please Him. Is this not similar to what a parent feels when a child does well?
So how should a parent respond to a child who does well?
If we have God in His right place in our lives, then our goal is to bring glory to Him rather than to ourselves. If we have no belief in God or no regard for Him, then the glory is something we will seek for ourselves instead. If God isn't part of our lives, then yes, our chests will swell with pride when we look at 'our’ child (or grandchild) who did well...and if we are honest, we like the fact that others see it was 'our' child.
But if God is King of our lives, then we long to see our kids do well for very different reasons. Firstly we should want them to do well in order to bring glory to God by using the talents and skills He has given them in ways He intended for them to be used.
For the creature to do just what the Creator intended for it to do, and do it diligently and excellently, brings joy to the Creator.
The Olympic runner Eric Liddel comes to mind when he says in the movie about his life - ‘Chariots of Fire’, that when he runs he feels God’s joy/pleasure. When a father is excited to see his child do well in some accomplishment, in a small way it is reflective of the joy the heavenly Father has. The earthly father rejoices alongside the thrill and joy of the child who does well in what he was created to do.
The father and son can also rejoice together because of the blessing it also can bring others (such as to a whole team that was able to win because of the goal the boy kicked). The earthly father also rejoices that part of him (as in the child he sired) is doing well and bringing glory to God. Both can rejoice together and give thanks to God. We are to do all to the glory of God and so we rejoice in the strength and enabling God Himself gives in order to do that. We are meant to always remember that whatever we do, it is because of how God has enabled us to do it. (Deuteronomy 8:18) Father and son can rejoice that school work was done, or a game was played, or a piece of art painted, or piece of music performed - all through the enabling of God and to the glory of God.
So rather than say to a child 'you make me so proud', maybe we should rather say 'you bring so much joy to me, to others and to the Lord! There is also opportunity together to pause and give thanks to the Lord for all that He has enabled and the blessing He has given. But this should not just be limited to ‘achievements’ but to when the parent/grandparent or anyone else sees that child (or any person in fact) making choices and setting priorities in accordance with godliness. We love others when we rejoice in the truth exhibited in their lives (1 Cor 13).
There is still plenty of biblical room to encourage one another, honour one another and give praise for someone using their God-given strength and ability to the full. Phrases such as 'You did well my son', or 'you worked hard for this', 'that looks so great', 'you did such a neat job', ‘thank-you so much for all your effort’ etc are still important. Praise, encouragement and thankfulness for action and attitudes that reflects God's standard and design and beauty, are not irrelevant, but let’s not stop there, let’s make sure God is honoured and thanks is given to Him.
I recall many years ago our Pastor's 3 year old son learning his entrance 'exam' answer for AWANA Cubbies which was : Q. 'What is sin?' A. 'Makes God sad'. If sin is making God sad, then righteousness is making God glad!....and along with God, we can be glad in what brings Him gladness!
So rather than say to a child 'you make me so proud', maybe we should rather say 'you bring so much joy to me, to others and to the Lord! There is also opportunity together to pause and give thanks to the Lord for all that He has enabled and the blessing He has given. But this should not just be limited to ‘achievements’ but to when the parent/grandparent or anyone else sees that child (or any person in fact) making choices and setting priorities in accordance with godliness. We love others when we rejoice in the truth exhibited in their lives (1 Cor 13).
There is still plenty of biblical room to encourage one another, honour one another and give praise for someone using their God-given strength and ability to the full. Phrases such as 'You did well my son', or 'you worked hard for this', 'that looks so great', 'you did such a neat job', ‘thank-you so much for all your effort’ etc are still important. Praise, encouragement and thankfulness for action and attitudes that reflects God's standard and design and beauty, are not irrelevant, but let’s not stop there, let’s make sure God is honoured and thanks is given to Him.
I recall many years ago our Pastor's 3 year old son learning his entrance 'exam' answer for AWANA Cubbies which was : Q. 'What is sin?' A. 'Makes God sad'. If sin is making God sad, then righteousness is making God glad!....and along with God, we can be glad in what brings Him gladness!
2. Pride vs Thankfulness
What about national pride? Should we have national pride? Should we be 'proud' to be Australian, or American or Kenyan or Fijian, or German or Japanese or whatever?
It might not be wrong to feel blessed to live in a certain country or community, but such feeling should be from a desire to honour God for his blessing, from a heart of thankfulness and appreciation. We might hear the word ‘proud’ used as the national anthem is sung, but we could use the word ’thankful'.
In Romans 1, the Apostle Paul explains how the world has gone wrong, and he includes in his description that people have failed to honour God and give thanks to him (v21). When we are proud of our own achievements or encourage others to be proud of their achievements, it leaves God out of the equation – it fails to honour him and give thanks to him.
God tells his people (Deut 8:18) that they need to be wary of falling into the sinful trap of thinking their own strength has got them where they are, when it was God who gave them the strength in the first place. Whatever blessing we have comes via all that God has already given us and thus thanks should be given to him. I will hear statements from people like ‘we made Australia what it is’. But while it may look like that (as regard the ‘progress’ or ‘development’ that has occurred), on the surface, there is nothing truly good we enjoy that doesn’t have its original source in God, whether the air we breathe to stay alive, the plants we eat for nutrition that then strengthen our muscles and feed our brain, or the materials we use from this earth to construct and build. Being proud of our achievements neglects and rejects God, to whom all thanks should be given.
[6] Photo sourced from Flickr under creative commons https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ accessed 31 August 2016
[7] Photo sourced from Flickr under creative commons https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ accessed 31 August 2016
[7] Photo sourced from Flickr under creative commons https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ accessed 31 August 2016
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