Pride Is Good for Lions, Not for People

Have you ever considered the names given to groups of different animals? We know birds and sheep gather in flocks, while we find cattle and buffalo in herds. Fish are probably the most educated of living creatures since they’re always in schools. You can find elephants either in a herd or a parade – especially during holiday celebrations, apparently. Dogs and wolves sometimes travel in a pack, although I’ve never seen one carrying a suitcase.  

Sharks swim in a shiver, even when the water’s warm. Jellyfish can be found in a smack, while whales and dolphins cavort in pods. (Like peas, I guess.) Gorillas and coyotes associate in a band, although no one knows which instruments they play. If you find a bunch of crows together, that’s a murder – but it’s not a felony. Rattlesnakes are found in a rhumba, but beware before dancing with them.

 

Some animals apparently are more organized than others, because cheetahs are found in a coalition, eagles in a convocation, owls in a parliament, baboons in a troop, crabs in a consortium, and alligators in a congregation – although I don’t think I’d try attending that church. Lemurs convene in a conspiracy – at least in theory.

 

Ants, beavers and penguins all are found in colonies, but never in the same place at the same time. Other names for animal groups seem aptly descriptive, like a flamboyance of flamingos, a dazzle of zebras, a crash of rhinoceroses, a streak of tigers, a gaggle of geese, a romp of otters, a scurry of squirrels, a caravan of camels, a cackle of hyenas, and a cloud of gnats. If you find a bunch of pandas together it’s an embarrassment, but I’ve never seen a panda blushing.

 

My favorite name for an animal grouping is a pride of lions. They certainly ought to be proud: The majestic manes that frame the heads of male lions. Their ferocious, fearsome roars. And those huge teeth that would make any dentist giddy with anticipation. 

 

However, while pride is fitting for lions, it’s not such a good thing for humans. It’s fine to be proud of a job well done or some notable achievement. But that’s not so much a matter of pride as it is feeling satisfied or gratified by the outcome of one’s efforts. And speaking of colonies, as the 250^th anniversary of our nation’s founding approaches, it’s not a sin being proud to be an American. Just as people from other countries take pride in their own national heritages.

 

The problem with pride occurs when egotism and self-centeredness enter the picture. It’s easy to identify because it typically carries with it the pronouns “I” and “me” – being used ad nauseum. Pride is also known as hubris, arrogance, and unjustified levels of confidence or conceit. Putting it in spiritual terms, it’s choosing to be one’s own god. We see it being manifested by athletes, entertainers, politicians (on both sides of the aisle) and other people of note. But one doesn’t need to be famous to be prideful.

 

Reading the Scriptures, we find examples of overweening pride from beginning to end. It didn’t take Adam and Eve long to start practicing it. God had said their only prohibition in the Garden of Eden was to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The first couple decided to defy that command, agreeing with Satan – disguised as a serpent – when he said, “…when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5).

 

This self-indulgent, sinful “heredity” quickly presented itself in Adam and Eve’s offspring. When it came time to give an offering to God, younger brother Abel’s was accepted but not Cain’s, the elder. In a fit of prideful, jealous rage, Cain killed his brother, as recounted in Genesis 4:2-12. The entirety of the Bible recounts many instances of this spiritual tug-of-war, humankind’s rebellion proudly facing off against the precepts and principles of a loving but also righteous, just God.

 

A striking example is the account of when Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar fulfilled a prophecy from Daniel, an exiled Israelite who risen to become one of the king’s chief advisors. One day while walking on the roof on his royal palace the king said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built…by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” Instantly the king was driven from his people and lived seven years with wild animals, “until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone He wishes” (Daniel 4:28-37).

 

In 1 Timothy 6:10, the apostle Paul wrote that “the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil…,” but as brilliant Christian apologist C.S. Lewis observed, pride is at the heart of every sin: lust, greed, coveting, anger, etc.

 

Expressing how God feels about selfish pride, the book of Proverbs offers many contrasts between pride and humility. For instance: 

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2). 

“The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor” (Proverbs 15:33).

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

“The proud and arrogant man – ‘Mocker’ is his name; he behaves with overweening pride” (Proverbs 21:24).

“Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4).

 

Speaking of the importance for younger men to be respectful and submissive to their elders, the apostle Peter admonished, “…All of you, clothes yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:5-6).

 

Moral of the story: If you’re a lion, take pride in that. But if you’re a human, err on the side of humility.

Who Are Your Heroes?

When I was growing up in New Jersey, if someone talked about a “hero,” more often than not they were referring to a sandwich, aka “submarine” or “torpedo.” But sometimes I think a sign should appear in the window of someone’s deli that reads: “A real hero is not a sandwich.” Because what our world needs isn’t more sandwiches, but more people whose lives are worth emulating and honoring. Bona fide heroes.

Who comes to mind when you think about a hero? 

These days, “heroes” come in all shapes and sizes. We make heroes of movie and TV stars, even though their achievements – besides being extraordinarily attractive (usually) – mostly consist of being paid lots of money for skills at pretending to be people they’re not, who exist only in fantasy worlds. These same folks keep gossip tabloids in business.

We might choose heroes from athletes renowned for being able to run fast, jump high, tackle hard, throw a ball through a hoop, hit a different kind of ball over a wall, or drive race cars fast around an oval for three or four hours. Even though we know very little about them personally, such as how they act when they’re not competing in their sport, many of us still accord these folks with hero status.

Some of us find heroes among politicians, singers and musicians, best-selling authors, even folks whose videos go viral and become Internet sensations. But just because people become famous for being famous, does that make them genuine heroes? 

This might be one reason “superheroes” have become huge box-office draws – film characters captured from the pages of comic books. We’ve got Superman, Ant Man, Wonder Woman, the Incredible Hulk, Captain America, Batman, Spiderman, Thor, and many other make-believe personalities with “super powers.” Sadly, since they’re all figments of someone’s imagination. 

More than 2,400 years ago, Greek philosopher Plato offered a perspective on heroes that still resonates today: True heroes, he said, are not the rich and famous, but people characterized by humility, wisdom, and a heart for serving others. 

I think Plato had it right. Aren’t we all drawn to individuals who possess humility, manifest wisdom, and display readiness to serve others when needed? In my lifetime, I’ve been fortunate to encounter a handful of people who fit this description. The most interesting thing about them, though, was common disinterest in being anyone’s hero. They were just going through life, seeking to become the kind of men and women they believed God wanted them to be.

Many of these were committed followers of Jesus, persons whose lives were transformed through their relationship with Him. The Scriptures speak a lot about this. For instance, Proverbs 11:2 declares, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 15:33 gives a similar view: “The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.”

The Bible presents us with a collection of individuals we might regard as heroes – Noah, Moses, Samson, David the Goliath killer, apostles Peter and Paul. But when we look at each one closely, we find they all possessed proverbial feet of clay, flawed people whom God used in spite of their shortcomings.

So in our search for heroes, we needn’t look for perfection. If we do, we’ll discover there are no heroes to be found. The folks who have impressed me most through the years have recognized their imperfections. This awareness increased their reliance upon Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.

The apostle Paul, for instance, never forgot his past sins and acknowledged his weaknesses. But those didn’t stop him from pursuing his God-given calling with zeal. He wrote, “…there was given me a thorn in the flesh…. Three times I pleased with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me…. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

Underscoring his dependence upon Christ for living out his faith, regardless of his circumstances, Paul also wrote, “I can do everything through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Ultimately, only Jesus Himself is deserving of being called a hero, having shown us not only how to live – but also how to die. And how to experience new life through His Spirit. If we desire to make a lasting difference through our lives, an eternal difference, we should cultivate the same reliance that Paul did. Because, as Jesus said, “apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

In our search for heroes, the best candidates are those who understand this.

A Great Quality You Can’t Be Proud to Have

If you were to single out one quality you most admire in other people, what would it be?

Determination? Intelligence? Charisma? Perseverance? Wisdom? Strength? Patience? Creativity? Enthusiasm? Compassion?

We'd probably like to have any of those qualities – especially those we don’t have now. You could list many others. But one quality receives almost universal admiration, yet it’s a trait you can’t be proud to have. Here’s a hint – we didn’t see much of it during the recent political campaigns:

Humility.

Think about it: In sports and entertainment, there’s so much “Look at me!” Isn’t it refreshing when someone displays a humble, even self-effacing attitude? A star player that credits his team for success rather than mugging for the camera or hogging the spotlight? A celebrity that doesn’t seem full of herself?

People that don't demand the
spotlight intrigue us.

In his acclaimed book, Good to Great, author Jim Collins conducted extensive research to determine why top companies excelled. Results could not ignore the role of the CEO, Collins reported. But the leaders of those organizations exhibited two common traits – great determination, and great humility. In most cases, rather than accepting credit for how their businesses excelled, they redirected praise to their staff and employees.

There’s something endearing about high achievers with an “aw, shucks” attitude. Many of us gladly accept recognition for even small accomplishments. But in an time when people become famous simply for being famous, the person exhibiting genuine humility is an anomaly.

Did you hear the story about the service club member that received the award for having the most humility? They took back the award when he put it on display.

Humility and its antithesis, pride, can be traced to earliest recorded history. You could say the scriptural account of “the Fall of Man” resulted from a lack of humility – the desire of Adam and Eve to be gods of their own lives, rather than submit to their Creator.

One of my favorite books in the Bible, Proverbs, says much about humility and pride:

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

“Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor” (Proverbs 18:12).

“Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4).

“The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but a man is tested by the praise he receives” (Proverbs 27:21).

Of course, the greatest biblical example of humility is Jesus. Despite being God incarnate, He was born in the humblest of circumstances, dispensed with the luxuries of His time, relied on the kindness of people that followed Him, and willingly gave His own life for the sins of mankind. “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even dead on a cross”  (Philippians 2:8).

What should Jesus expect of those claiming to be His followers? It’s simple: Pursue and practice humility. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:10).

Whether you’re a Tim Tebow or a Norm Nobody, there’s something about humility that God finds very attractive.