PROUD ROARS

By: Jessica Breazeale

Unfortunately, pride shows up in everything we do. We don’t like to admit wrongdoing or the things we aren’t proud of. We don’t like self-reflection. That’s pride.

Pride takes a relationship between two and turns it into a relationship of one. Over time, the proud, fierce roar feels like loneliness.

How does pride show up in your workplace?

• Maybe you have lots of workplace conflicts.

• Maybe you give the silent-treatment until someone who owes you an apology gives you one.

• Maybe these thoughts have turned you bitter, cold and distant.

• Maybe you show up to work but give terrible customer service because you hate being there and hate people.

• Maybe you’ve started to make people feel awkward.

  
  

Pride shows up in the workplace. 

How does pride show up in your home?

• Maybe you get louder and louder until you feel heard. (This sounds like me while trying to get my teen to do his chores.)

• Maybe you shun anyone who disagrees with you. Cut off. Period.

• Maybe you refuse to listen to anyone who believes differently from you.

• Maybe you are demanding your way to be accepted, and you refuse to be kind or loving.

  
  

Pride shows up in the home. 

How does pride show up at church?

• Maybe you see a million things that need to be done. You can easily point them all out, but you never help. You point and bark. But never really get involved.

• Maybe you can personally identify lots of people who have needs. But rather than helping them…you tell your church to go help.

• Maybe you’re a bit of a troublemaker…stirring up gossip and drama because it’s a social club to you rather than a holy community.

• Maybe you sit further and further in the back, show up later and later, attend less and less - until you completely shut yourself off.

• Maybe you don’t like how someone at church made you feel or the way they worded something, so you kept your distance and avoided them.

• Maybe you disagree with something, so you hop to the next church.

  
  

Pride definitely shows up at church.

Can we go deeper than just eliminating prideful thoughts? That sounds too self-help, and I’m not so sure self-help talk has ever helped us as a people yet.

How can we say or assume we “follow Jesus” without completely adjusting our lifestyles, thoughts, plans, emotions, desires, etc.?

It’s called “dying to self” – choosing to wake up new every morning, shaking off the old person and old ways, and embracing the new self. Start with a clean slate, forgiving yourself, putting on the mind of Christ, and letting his peace guard your heart and mind. How can we deny ourselves tomorrow morning when we wake up? It doesn’t happen on its own, and it doesn’t happen without real intentional effort all day every day.

As a human myself, all I can offer is something that helps me. I see visuals in my mind that serve as symbolic reminders.

The wooden ladder leaning against a window of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City of Jerusalem

When I think about swallowing the bitter taste of pride, I visualize the ladder at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It’s in the Holy City and called the “Immovable Ladder”. It’s a law that explains nothing from the church can be moved unless all six of its religious denominations agree to prevent disputes. The ladder has not moved for three centuries. This is a symbolic reminder of painful, long-suffering divisions.

Do we think we’re always right, our ways are the best ways, our ideas are the correct ones, our emotions are always validated, or our beliefs are the accurate views everyone should adhere to? Are we constantly fighting for our rights, demanding to be heard, shunning those who disagree?  Do we get mad, cold, or bitter when someone has a different opinion? Do we shut down when things don’t go our way? Shall we all just take a moment to self-reflect…

Of course, we won’t all agree. It’s what makes us uniquely human. However, mutual love, respect, and kindness are the missing puzzle pieces to seeing beauty in unity and unity in real community.

Different is good. It allows us to display the attributes of God. If everyone thought, said, and acted just like you, would you have any reason to display love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control?

While it’s not easy to swallow the bitter taste of pride, it sure makes us feel better and lighter later. Don’t allow your pride to hold you back.

It’s time to “move that ladder”.

Your time is too short, and calling is too great to let the differences that God formed with his own holy hands hold us back from the prosperous future we can experience.