Strive To Be Proud About This

Strive to Be Proud about This

Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

Barry Sanders and Deion Sanders came into the NFL at the same time. Behind the scenes, they probably weren’t very different. They both worked hard and were considered good teammates by their peers. But each had a public persona that was very different from the other. Deion was known as “Prime Time”—flashy, loud, and proud. Not only was he a great player, he knew how to put on a show. He had figured out that in our society, flash sells.

Barry was just the opposite—the “old school” athlete. Like Deion, he was a great player, but he rarely talked about himself. When he scored a touchdown, he handed the ball to the official and went back to the bench. In postgame interviews, he would praise the linemen who blocked for him and then get out of the spotlight. He was a classic example of the quiet, humble athlete most of us say we prefer.

Both players got a lot of attention for their accomplishments, but Deion got even more for his showmanship. He brought a lot of attention to his own name and as a result got more endorsements and exposure. As much as our society claims to commend quiet humility, we actually reward those who put themselves in the spotlight. Deion still commands the spotlight, but these days it’s mostly to talk about the Lord.

Pride comes in many forms, and it isn’t always attention seeking. An outgoing person can be very humble, and sometimes a quiet person harbors a lot of pride. So I’m not making any judgments about pride and humility in Deion and Barry. But I do know that society has blurred the lines between confidence and pride, and we tend to reward pride with media attention and financial perks. Yet Scripture says that “pride goes before destruction.” It eventually leads to a downfall.

Confidence is a good quality to have. It’s a realization that God has given us certain abilities and created us to fulfill a unique role that no one else can fill. It’s a humble recognition that life is not about us but about using our gifts and abilities to their fullest to help others and contribute to society. Pride, on the other hand, is all about building ourselves up in the eyes of others. If we want to keep from falling, we need to learn the difference.

Uncommon Key > Be confident in your God-given gifts and abilities, but always avoid pride. Trying to build yourself up will eventually bring you down. If you catch yourself with a “big head” today, deflate it by confessing your sin of pride to God.