The Point of Friction

Pride is dangerous because it leaves no room for anybody besides yourself. When pride reigns in your heart, nobody else's opinions, desires, pleasures, values, loves, friendships, or characters matter. This not only completely alienates a person from other people, but also from God. It was pride by which Lucifer became Satan: he wanted to be greater, more holy, and better than God. The consequences for his pride were dire and we would do well to avoid both the sin and the consequence.

Pride encroaches on all aspects of our lives, and everybody is guilty of it at one time or another. Even Moses, who was the meekest man in the world, had his issues with pride. In Numbers 20, when the Israelites were complaining about the lack of water in the desert. Moses intercedes for the people because, although it wasn't right, it was one of the more legitimate things they complained about. God gave very specific commands to Moses to get water out of the rock. He was to take his staff and tell the rock to give up its water. This way, there would be no contact between Moses and the rock and though it was his word that caused God to let water out of the rock, it was God in the end that performed the miracle. Listen carefully what Moses says to the people: "Hear now, you rebels: Shall WE bring water for you out of this rock?" He then strikes the rock twice with his staff. This right here is pride. Pride pride pride. Even though Moses knew God was providing the water, he took part of it into his own hands, thinking he could do something about it rather than trusting God completely.

God punishes Moses and Aaron saying, "Because you did not BELIEVE IN ME, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land I have given them." It seems that pride and lack of faith are closely connected in this instance.

So what do we do? The cure for pride is God (through humility). Lewis explains this a bit better, "[God] and you are two things of such a kind that if you really get into any kind of touch with him you will, in fact, be humble — delightedly humble, feeling the infinite relief of having for once got rid of all the silly nonsense about your own dignity which has made you restless and unhappy all your life." The first step toward changing is admitting that we are prideful, which is difficult, and being humble enough to ask God for help in transformation. For we can only work out our salvation with fear and trembling because God first worked in us.