The Sin of Pride
This teaching addresses the sin of pride as one of the most dangerous sins that has led many people to destruction. It explains that pride is not merely a feeling of vanity or superiority before others, but rather an elevation of the heart from within and a feeling that a person is great and deserves more honor and respect than others. It explains that pride is the oldest of sins, for the devil fell through it when he wanted to become like the Most High, and Adam and Eve also fell through it when the devil tempted them with the idea of becoming like God. It emphasizes that pride may be the root of many sins; therefore, it is said that before destruction comes pride, and before a fall comes a haughty spirit.
Spiritual Message
The teaching warns against the danger of pride because God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Pride may come from external things such as wealth, position, authority, and occupation, or from internal things such as intelligence, beauty, artistic talents, and personal abilities. It may also come from spiritual virtues themselves, such as prayer, fasting, silence, asceticism, and spiritual tears, so that what should have led a person to humility before God becomes a reason for boasting and superiority. The teaching explains that a person whom God grants a gift needs to ask for humility of heart along with it, because humility is what carries the gift and protects it from becoming a cause of destruction. It gives examples from the Bible, such as Saint Paul the Apostle, Jacob, Joseph, and David, explaining that the tribulations God allowed in their lives were a means of protecting them from self-exaltation and pride.
Educational Lesson
The teaching explains the manifestations of pride that a person should examine within himself, including boasting about oneself, loving praise and honor, and constantly talking about personal virtues and achievements. Other manifestations include belittling others, interrupting them, despising their opinions, and trying to appear better than everyone else or as the only distinguished person among them. Pride also appears in the love of being noticed and in centering everything around oneself, to the point that prayer, service, and fasting become means of displaying oneself instead of expressions of love and communion with God. The teaching also points out that a proud person may attribute other people’s ideas and achievements to himself, whereas a humble person gives credit to their rightful owners and acknowledges the efforts of others. It also warns against stubbornness and insisting on one’s own opinion even when it becomes clear that it is wrong, because admitting mistakes and accepting the correct opinion are signs of humility.
Practical Application
The teaching calls upon a person to examine his heart continually and pay attention to his true motives behind his spiritual practices, service, and relationships with others. He should attribute every gift, every virtue, and every success to the grace of God, and should not boast about anything as though it came from himself. He should also learn to appreciate others, thank them for their contributions, and avoid seeking the highest positions, praise, or distinction at their expense. He should accept advice, withdraw his opinion when he discovers that he is wrong, and speak with politeness, calmness, and humility. A humble person does not depend on his own abilities alone, but continually feels his need for God and His help, making his relationship with God the goal of his prayer, service, and spiritual activities. In this way, humility becomes the foundation of a sound spiritual life, protecting a person from pride and falling, and making him worthy of God’s grace.
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