Quiet confidence

One of the things I detest the most in life is being around someone who is bursting with pride. Ughhh! It is nauseating. I had not been around anyone like that in a while, but recently have had more than my share of witnessing a good dose of it first-hand. It reminds me of football season when some player achieves something like scoring a touchdown and then they strut around like a spring turkey gobbler all puffed up for all to see. It was a wise coach who instructed his young player who was putting on just such an exhibition to “try and act like you been there before son”. No doubt the coach was as embarrassed and nauseated by it as all of the fans.

Pride in itself does not have to be a bad thing. It is defined as experiencing a happy satisfied feeling after having achieved something special that other people admire. There is nothing wrong with experiencing satisfaction with a job well done and in fact is quite normal, but don’t let it develop into arrogance and conceit. The importance of things accomplished in life can be acknowledged and appreciated with class, or it can be paraded about with a haughty attitude and smugness by someone who believes, often unjustifiably, that he or she is better than others.

In all of my companies I have always much preferred the team oriented employees over those who are self oriented. I want everyone on my team to look past their own accomplishments and respect their teammates who made their success possible. In fact if I cannot mentor them out of it I invariably drum such individuals out of my organization regardless of their talent. Why? Because I know that so much more can be achieved through a team effort. A group of individuals whose agenda is individualized self promotion instead of a group of teammates promoting the “team” will surely disintegrate.

Excessive pride is self-destructive and is as sure a recipe for failure as anything of which I know. We should have quiet confidence and always remember that God created us just the way that we are. If we are smart, it is because God gifted us with a bright intellect. If we are beautiful, the same thing applies. If we have perseverance, a great smile, whatever It is because God endowed us with those talents and is at this very moment standing by our sides ready to help us to use them to achieve our maximum potential. Not so we can brow beat and brag about our accomplishments to all of those around us that perhaps did not start out with the same talents or go as far, as quickly, but that God might be glorified. Our purpose in life is to glorify God and then one day have fellowship with Him. It is for those reasons that we were created.

Most importantly we should remember our role model Jesus Christ. If ever anyone had a legitimate reason to be bursting with pride it is Jesus Christ and yet He was filled with humility even to the point of choosing to be born in a manger in the most humble of circumstance. He did not pound on His chest and say, “Hey look at me!” When He healed people or otherwise performed miracles, instead He often told them not to tell anyone and He always gave His Father in heaven the credit. Instead of riding in a chariot of gold into Jerusalem to offer His life for mankind, He rode a little donkey. He got down on His knees and washed the nasty dirty feet of His disciples and not vice versa, (I have been to Israel, and can testify first-hand that those roads are dusty and dirty over there).

Ask yourself, why did Jesus Christ do this? He did it to set an example for us. We are to serve and not be served. We are to be humble and not prideful like satan, the author of this the original sin.

Jesus always gave God the glory and began and ended His prayers by glorifying His Father in heaven. Shouldn’t we do likewise? Just follow His lead and we cannot go wrong… Think about it.

Proverbs 16:18
Pride goes before destruction
and a haughty spirit before a
fall.