Pride // Still Deadly, Part 8

Pride is an ugly thing – but these days, it's almost a virtue. I mean on the one hand should we be delighted when we succeed at something? Sure, but pride takes that delight to a different level.  That's why it's one of the seven deadly sins. And let me tell you, it's still deadly. Interestingly, the other week I was being interviewed by an editor of a magazine, sharing what God was doing through this ministry, Christianityworks, that I'm involved in. And the interviewer said to me, "You must be incredibly proud of what you've achieved!" I was horrified, mortified. I said, "No, no, you haven't been listening to me. It's what God's been doing. I've had the privilege of being involved but most days you know, I feel much more like a bystander than a participant. All the really big things that have happened have been so far beyond anything we could ever have achieved as people." What I experience in my heart, when I look at that, is a quiet contentment and a joy of looking back to see what I have been allowed to have some part in. But not proud. After the interview I had a good think. You see, before I met Jesus in my life 13 years ago, I was proud of everything I'd had achieved. And I had achieved a lot in my business career. Problem is, it all fell down like a house of cards. It seems it's something of a virtue these days, to be proud. It's good for our self esteem and yet, the truth be known, pride is a sin and it's still deadly. Berni: Joined on the program today, again by Keith Henry. Keith thanks for joining us. Keith: Pleasure Berni. Berni: Now listen, you're a bit of a guru. Tell me about this "pride" thing. What's that about? I mean what sort of person is prone to pride? Why do we get proud? Keith: Well, as you said, it's very rife in our communities at the moment. And when you look at pride and you think of, for instance, the Olympics or some sporting event. People who get a gold medal would rightly, you'd think, be very proud of what they've achieved. Berni: Sure. Keith: But it can be a false sense of ability because we all know what you're good at today can be robbed from you tomorrow. We have to give credit to, you know, a lot of other people who got us there as well as what we've done in ourselves. And in Christianity, if you're a big name preacher, well it's not pride in what you're doing, it's "proud", as you said, in what God has done through you and you've been able to be a part of it. And so pride, really is a very worldly sort of terminology. And with pride comes entitlement, right. If I've achieved something therefore I'm entitled to something. Berni: Yeah, it's like all about me. Keith: Exactly. Berni: As though, as though it ever is all about you. It's really quite bizarre. One of the things I really dislike intensely is the tennis players and the swimmers who win and they kind of, you know how they lift their hand up and they point at themselves like, "It's all about me". And I think, "Mate, that is just so not, not the case". Keith: It isn't, they can lose the next point can't they, very easily? Berni: Exactly. Keith: Reality's round the next point. But in the, in the giftings of what type of gift you are, you know. Berni: Yeah, what sort of personality type suffers from this? Keith: Okay, the one that you wouldn't think about is the giver. Berni: The giver suffers from pride? Keith: Yes, that's right. Berni: That's weird. Keith: It is because when you think about it, a giver is a person who is very, very good at sensing your needs and what they do. It's not just giving of money, it's giving their time and their ability. They are the great "behind the scenes" people. Berni: Yep. Keith: You know you might happen to be the Managing Director of a big company, your personal assistant is the giver. Berni: Yep, yep. Keith: And people say you can't get through to the Managing Director unless you go through the gateway. Berni: Yes. Keith: They control everything. They are the power behind the scene. Berni: Yeah. Keith: They are the ones that, they think, can think, that really runs the company. Berni: Yeah, okay, and I guess if you had someone who give financially to support some philanthropic work or ministry, they can ending up saying, "Well actually, if it wasn't for me they wouldn't be in business." Keith: That's right and then they start wanting entitlement, "I want you now to do it my way." Berni: Yeah, okay, they want to control the way in which the giving is used. Keith: That's right. So they actually try and become a "behind the scenes leader" where they want to use power and control but not be out the front. Berni: Now we're not saying all givers are bad. Keith: No. Berni: We're just saying this is, 'cause givers, we need givers in this world, we need people who give of their time and their money and their abilities because it would be a sad old world without the giver but this is the downside of their personality type I guess. Keith: That's the downside. Berni: It's the Achilles heel. Keith: Yeah but here, another really good giver was Mother Theresa. Berni: Right. Keith: You might think she was a carer. Well she was actually a giver because they both come from emotions, the emotional side, so they both have sensitivity, a very high sensitivity. Then Mother Theresa could sense the needs of the people and she went out and physically did something to help them overcome their problems. Berni: Okay. Well if pride is, is one of the 7 deadly sins, how is it deadly? What's the impact of pride? Keith: The impact is one, mainly of payment, "I do this for you, I expect you to do this for me." Berni: Quid pro quo Keith: Yeah. Berni: Rather than giving freely. Keith: Yes. Berni: Giving with strings attached. Keith: Very much so. The more a person starts to give and somebody else becomes dependant on them, then they want. Berni: Okay and I guess that's destructive because that's not what giving should be about, is it? Keith: No, in the Bible in 2 Peter 1, where the virtues are, it actually says that the giver should have kindness, brotherly kindness. Berni: Okay. Keith: So they should be kind without expecting anything in return for their giving. And that's when they're fulfilled. They participate in the divine nature once they use their ability to give. And you and I and lots of people know if you're married to a giver, as we both are, or if you have a giver in your life somewhere, they are the most wonderful people. They can spoil you and make life easy for you. And they love spending time with you, love helping you, they're called the helpers, the real helpers. And so they're so valuable but they're not to look at what they can get out of it. They do it because that's their gift, as we all do, to use our gift. Berni: And I know some givers you know, invariably when you give to Gods work, somehow God just makes it that the timing is so amazing, that it just came at the right time or was just the right amount or whatever it is. And the person who gives, who gives in faith, that must be such a buzz for them when they find that out. Keith: Yes. Well it's the ultimate in non-selfishness isn't it to actually give? Especially money. We're a money society, especially give your money, you know that really is hard and so they find it easier. They can give to so many causes and if they have a sensitivity to sense that this person really needs something at this moment, they can sense it, they can do it. Berni: You know, it just amazes me how, I guess, each of these different 7 deadly sins seems to pop up in the lives of the sorts of people you and I wouldn't expect. Keith: That's right, that's exactly right. It's not always the way it's interpreted if you think of envy and all those other things. It's not really the way it's normally interpreted. Berni: Tomorrow we're going to sort of recap and go through each one of these 7 deadly sins, just quickly to summarise because there's been a lot there for me. And if you've been with us over these last week and a half or so, the insights that Keith's shared with us have been really, truly amazing. So, it's been a blessing, we'll catch you again tomorrow Keith. Keith: Thanks Berni.