Why Should We Beware Of Pride
Upon Line Conversation Card Journaling
Today I decided to take some time to journal by answering one of the questions from the Upon Line conversation cards.
The question that I pulled out was, “Why should we beware of pride? How can we practice humility?”
Here are my thoughts in answer to these questions:
Pride is the downfall of human society. If we are prideful than we are not teachable. If we aren’t teachable than we are not willing to learn. Learning is a part of this life. We are meant to learn and grow and pride stops us from doing so.
Consider the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 112:10, “Be thou humble, and the Lord thy God shall lead thee, shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers.”
If we truly want to be led by the Lord, we need to be willing and open to receiving His guidance, which is impossible if we are prideful/unteachable. If we aren’t receiving answers to prayer, perhaps it’s because we have allowed pride into our hearts.
In my training as a creation coach, Brooke Snow, taught about two forms of pride. There is pride looking down, when we view ourselves as better than others. And then there is pride looking up, where we view ourselves as less than others. Both forms of pride keep us from progressing.
Pride looking down keeps us from seeing the beauty in others. It keeps us from learning from others, from receiving guidance from them and from the Lord because we think our way as the best way. We are not open to seeing that there may be a higher, holier way.
President Nelson has taught in recent years, “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”
We need God’s guidance in our lives.
The other type of pride, Pride looking up, keeps us from seeing the divine within ourselves. We see ourselves as less than others and in turn do not take action that can help us be a light unto others. We are capable of so much and when we embrace that we can do anything the Lord asks of us. It distances us from God because we fail to see what God sees in us. It keeps us from embracing the love that He has for us and also for the love that He has for all His children.
Both types of pride keep us from loving others and ourselves as well.
President Ezra Taft Benson shared this about pride, “The central feature of pride is enmity-enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means ‘hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.’ It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.”
That pride, that enmity towards God and toward other people, causes us to turn our thoughts away from giving and receiving love. It keeps us from reaching out to God and other people and it keeps us from connecting with them. We distance ourselves from each other as we allow pride into our hearts and minds.
So, how can we keep ourselves from being prideful? How do we humble ourselves?
Here is some counsel from President Benson, “To be sure, there may be times when you feel as though the heavens are closed. But I promise that as you continue to be obedient, expressing gratitude for every blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently honor the Lord’s timetable, you will be given the knowledge and understanding you seek. Every blessing the Lord has for you—even miracles—will follow. That is what personal revelation will do for you.”
Continue to be obedient
Express gratitude
Be patient with the Lord’s timing
Those are three ways that we can keep ourselves focused on the Lord.
Other things that help are to study the scriptures often, following the prophet and prayer.
Studying the words of the prophets helps us to see the Lord’s will and counsel.
Following the counsel of the prophet keeps us humble as we hear the Lord’s will through him. In the Old Testament, Amos 3:7, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”
Throughout time the Lord has had a pattern of revealing His word through his servants, the prophets. The same is true in our time. If we are not listening to the prophet’s counsel, then we should check ourselves and look for the pride within us.
Turn to the Lord in prayer and he’ll guide you in humbling yourself. The Lord can help us to have the eyes to see the pride that is within us. Turn to him and ask for help in opening your eyes.
As we shed the pride within us, we will find a greater joy and sense of peace as we connect with our Lord, our God. We will find a greater love for those around us as well and a greater love and confidence within as we stop comparing ourselves to others.
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