Articles
Pride, the Ninja!
Ninjas! We have seen them in movies and pretended to be them when we were kids.
They hide in the dark shadows and sneak in to assassinate their targets while they are sleeping.
Like Ninjas, pride sneaks into our heart, often in ways we may not recognize. The writer of
Proverbs tells us that “To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior
and perverse speech” (Proverbs 8:13). Pride and arrogance should not be a part of our lives. They
will lead us into sin and separate us from God. I think most of us understand this, but we all still
struggle because pride can enter our lives in unexpected ways.
Have you ever considered that fear and anxiety can actually be a form of pride? Fear and
anxiety stem from the belief that I am in control. When we are anxious and afraid our thoughts
turn inward. We ask questions like: What am I going to do? What’s going to happen to me?
What if things don’t work out the way I want? Why is this happening to me? Things become all
about my plans, my choices, my ability to do what I want.
The Bible teaches us how to deal with fear and anxiety. Notice what Peter says, “Humble
yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all
your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). Removing pride from our heart
and humbling ourselves before God is the key to freedom from anxiety and fear. Living each day
for Him will lead us to a peace that the world is searching for, but never finding. When we place
our faith in God instead of ourselves, our money, or the people around us, then fear and anxiety
will lose its grip on our lives. We must trust God to take care of us, even in death. He is the only
One truly in control. ~B Tolbert
