The Enemy of Peace

Pride is a great spoiler of peace and contentment. I watched a much older man than I insist on participating in work from which he could easily have been excused. Pride drives him, as it does many men and women, to attempt things which are as unnecessary as they are dangerous. A little humility would allow him to avoid injury, enjoy the peace and tranquility of old age, and resist the desire to prove “I can still do it.” Pride does the same thing to the young folk. It causes young men to refuse help or advice from their wife or mother. It causes young women to resist assistance from their husband or mother. Pride turns a harmless situation into competition. Pride keeps us on edge and guarded. Humility can un-ruffle feathers, allow the blood pressure to return to normal, and drop the defensive barriers which we so quickly erect. Pride is our enemy. It is the enemy of relationships, progress, and good health.

I know a man who drove the loop around Atlanta for three days because his pride kept him from asking for directions. Actually I don’t, . . . but it could happen. Pride doesn’t keep us from going places but it keeps us from getting places. I ate at a restaurant once because I was too proud to walk away when I realized I was at the wrong restaurant. I bought an extra item at the hardware store one day because my pride wouldn’t let me stand in line at the register with only a two dollar item. Pride makes us crazy. Have you ever dangerously driven out into traffic because you were worried what the people waiting in cars behind you might think about you if you took too long? That’s pride at work. When God demands that we become humble it is for our own good. God wants us to drop the pride and enjoy the abundant life. With pride out of the way, we can lean upon God, learn from God, and realize the peace and contentment that He has granted all who love Him and humbly trust in His Son. Proverbs 22:4 says, “The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, honor and life.”