Proud is a 5 Letter Word

Proud is a 5 Letter Word 1 Corinthians 13:4 Pride goes before destruction, or so it says in Proverbs 16:18. This verse shows pride to be a bad thing, and yet there are other verses that show it to be a good thing. This is part of the confusion in 1Corinthians 13:4. It clearly shows that “Love is not proud.” This leaves us with the question, can a word like pride be both bad and good at the same time? My answer is yes. You can have pride in yourself, in others, and in the accomplishments of others, and that kind of pride means you have respect for yourself and others. That is a very healthy pride, and success is impossible without it, but it can be taken too far. This is where the Bible talks about pride as a bad thing. It is the type of pride that means arrogance. It says “I am so wonderful that I don’t need anyone else, because I am better than you.” It was the sin of pride that got Satan cast out of Heaven, because he believed himself to be equal to God, and he felt he could take over Heaven. This is also what Satan used to trick Eve to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge, which eventually led to the expulsion from the Garden Of Eden. He told Eve that if she ate the fruit she would be like God, and an equal. She then convinced Adam to eat as well. This is one of those points I feel it’s necessary to be clear. Many people try to blame Eve for tricking Adam, and Satan for tricking Eve, but the fact is, all three acted on their own free will, and did nothing by force. The point is, pride is very important in success, and our interpersonal relationships, for it’s just another word for respect, but when it’s taken too far, and it becomes arrogance, it is Satan’s greatest tool for making us believe we don’t need God, or others, to succeed. This leads us back to the commandment that all other commandments are centered in; Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and spirit, and love your neighbor as yourself. Respectful pride puts others first, and arrogant pride puts you above others.