These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood. (Prov. 6:16-17 KJV)
Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Prov. 16:18 KJV)
Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. (Jer. 9:23, 24, KJV)
Most of this book is filled with encouragements—but this entry is a caution. It is a warning about pride, which C.S. Lewis described as “the essential vice, the utmost evil.”
Why, you may wonder, would I be talking about the sin of pride to church communicators? Outside the reality that all of us are capable of any sin at any time, in most instances, in the church, especially small and medium size churches, I’ve seldom seen pride as a danger in church communications. For an overworked church secretary or administrative assistant, for the pastor of a church too small or poor to afford paid help, for the volunteer putting together a flyer or Facebook site for the youth group at the end of a long day—most often these valiant workers are so aware of their limitations in communication production that pride is seldom a temptation.Continue Reading