The Dangers of Pride

As a high school teacher, I know that students are often the best teachers, and this was emphasized to me as a group of first graders reminded me of an important lesson during Kids Club at Cross Cultural today.

The topic was of the day was sin and forgiveness, and the pirate skit had done a great job of showing dishonesty and cruelty and the mercy of forgiveness for wrongs offered by the Captain. During the discussion portion of the program, the students were asked to all stand up and then sit down when something was said that they had done before. “Sit down if you’ve ever lied,” the leader said. All of us sat down except two little boys. Everyone looked at them and thought, “Okay, you’re lying right now.” One other little boy tugged on the shirt of a boy still standing as if to say, “I know you should be sitting. I can know nothing about you and be pretty sure that you have lied in your 7 years of life.” But the boys kept standing and kept standing through many other statements of the wrongdoings we so often experience as normal human beings.

“Sit down if you’ve ever said something mean to a friend.”

“Sit down if you’ve ever disobeyed your parents.”

“Sit down if you’ve ever broken a promise.”

As the boys kept standing, they kept getting more confident. At one point, one of the little boys was raising his hands in victory because he had supposedly never done anything wrong. And I get it—he’s seven and is trying to be cool or funny or whatever, but to me it was really profound. It struck me because even though we don’t run through a checklist and do a stand up/sit down activity all the time, I think there are a lot of us that act the same way. We think we’ve got life under control, and we don’t see the sins lurking beneath. We run around with our hands raised in victory thinking we’re at least better than most people. What tragedy! If we can stay out of trouble ourselves, there’s no need for God.

The best place to be during this discussion was sitting because it was acknowledging the need for mercy and forgiveness. My heart broke for these two little boys who didn’t get that yet, and it broke for myself as I realize how often pride creeps up in me and I don’t acknowledge my total dependence on God’s mercy.

In Deuteronomy 8, Moses is speaking to the nation of Israel about entering the Promised Land.

“ 11 Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God.”

Just like Israel, when pride creeps into our hearts, we forget all that God has done for us.

I am thankful to these children for the reminder of the forgiveness I need for the pride in my heart. I pray that they understand that it’s okay to be broken and humbly ask for forgiveness at some point in their lives, maybe even this week during BUMP.

Guest Blogger - Desiree Anderson, BUMP Twin Cities City Team