Celebration vs False Pride

The other morning, I was listening to Pastor and Steven Furtick, on an Elevation Church podcast called Christ is in me, I am enough.

Podcast link below.

He and his guest Brendan Burchard were talking about how many believers in God, are not great at taking any credit for their successes or achievements, he was suggesting that by refusing to take any credit at all for our part in successes or wins, we will not be encouraged to keep going, or feel that we are never doing well enough.

He shared that when giving compliments to others about how good they were at something, they would often say things like “Oh no that was all God” or “I can’t take the credit for it that it was God” and the list goes on.

Commenting that people appear to feel instantly uncomfortable with compliments or encouragement because it has been drilled into us that we should not be filled with pride, and humility is a stance that should be always taken.

I think like many things in the bible, this is taken to the extreme and out of context as a blanket rule, which may be hindering us from stepping into all that God has for us.

This got me thinking, down a rabbit hole, of something that I have always struggled with, the balance between being grateful and giving glory to God for his part in my successes and wins and being proud and acknowledging my own part.

So, let's unpack this a bit.

The bible is clear about the consequences of ‘pride’ - In ONE context.

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

Proverbs 16:5 “The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.”

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

Given there are many meanings and types of pride that may be expressed, what type of pride do you think God is talking about here?

Perhaps the type we associate with an over inflated EGO and EGO with ARROGANCE.

If we apply this meaning out of context, it can become ‘False pride,’ which can be a blockage to achieving what God wants us to achieve.

When looking up the various other meanings of the word ‘Pride’ in the Miriam Webster dictionary, I found a list of phrases where the word is used, that I think illustrates the various ways pride can be meant.

Most of them can be meant positively and some could be taken either way depending on the person or context being used.

Phrases Containing pride:

• Badge of honour/pride

• Be puffed (up) with pride (Conceited)

• Matter of pride (taking pride appearance or work)

• Pride and joy (Usually referring to how we feel about our children or pets, sometimes inanimate objects like a car)

• Pride of place (Somewhere we may put something important we want others to see like an award, a photograph, a piece of history, or even someone's ashes)

• Pride oneself on....

• Self-pride (Can be either way, too proud to take any direction or include anyone else in recognition, or taking pride in one's contribution to something)

• Swallow your pride (Asking for help)

• Take pride in (ourselves, our work, our contribution)

I don’t believe that God never wants us to feel a sense of pleasure or satisfaction from what we are doing on earth if it is in line with his plan and includes giving appropriate glory to him in the mix.

As with many things when on a faith journey, it is really all about the context in which the word is used, the HEART behind it and the inclusion of God in it.

This led me to reflect on how many Christians think it's not biblical to claim any recognition or reward for things that you have achieved or succeeded at, they see it as being pride filled, and not being ‘humble.’

Especially in New Zealand, we are known as a nation of Tall Poppy choppers, if anyone sticks their head up and talks about success or shows it, people tear them down either behind their backs or to their faces. In Christian circles sometimes this is done more ‘kindly’ by quoting the scriptures above, or talking about someone as a brag or not humble enough.

We say things like, “I don’t want to toot my own horn” or “blow my own trumpet” or “I just like to be humble” or even about other people “They never take any credit for what they do, they are SOOOO humble.”

Humility is important and can keep us grounded, however I struggle with it being a reason we never celebrate our part in successes or achievements in the spirit of encouragement.

Humility is about not making yourself higher than anyone else or God, I think we can still be proud of our part in our successes without making it about being higher or better than anyone else.

I believe God made me an encourager. I feel prompted to give compliments to people every single day and without him giving me the courage to share them, or send a message to someone, that gift he has given me would be wasted. Because if listened to myself I would second guess it and more often than now, would not share.

What do I mean by God's part and our part?

My experience is, God works on the parts I can’t do on my own, at all or where I may be lacking or weaker, and when we follow his plan, it is often bigger than we can imagine, and it is not about us in the end.

If we are walking in full faith, and going where God wants us to go, it will always be uncomfortable and require courage and involve growth of some sort. God opens doors, gives us opportunities but we still have to step out and walk through those doors, say yes, and embrace what that brings by way of learning and experience.

Take an Olympic athlete, they may have a God given talent for running, but they still have to, in the human realm, get up every day and train, they have to push through, eat right, compete against others, overcome challenges, injury, working with God all the way. So, the successful outcome is about a mere mortal, working with an almighty God in partnership.

When that athlete crosses the line, they know how hard they worked, and they also know if they are tapped in spiritually, how much God helped them get there.

God may also have a bigger picture as to why he wants that person to do well, it will be just part of their journey but in order to get to where he wants them to go, they need everything they went through and learned for what is next. He may also want others to be encouraged by the success.

I personally think it is more than OK to be proud of yourself for your achievements, as long as we are thanking God for his part and including him in our celebration, acknowledging him, his blessings, and miracles.

Why may this be important?

• By sharing successes in this way, bringing Glory to God for his blessings, strength, wisdom, provision, knowledge, and connections, and being proud of our own courage and faith to step out and up, may just be the thing that encourages someone else who is struggling to keep going on their journey.

• God may be using you to encourage someone else in the earthly realm.

• God may be using us as part of a much bigger picture, playing a part in helping someone else get closer to him, being part of somebody else's journey.

• Because it also helps us to connect to being ‘enough’ in that moment and in God's eyes. And that feeling of being ‘enough’ encourages us to move forward, do more, step into bigger situations with faith.

I also believe that if we see God as a loving Father, and we are his children, then he will be cheering us on, PROUD of us, and I do believe he would be completely happy with us being proud of ourselves for our part in the journey. Not in a conceited or arrogant way, but in a way that encourages ourselves that we are doing well, we are enough in his eyes, and we should keep going on the journey.

Matthew 25:23 American Standard Version (ASV)

“His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

My redundancy blog shares the story of my job, which just turned up unexpectedly, totally a God move, yet prior to that, I had been obedient to his call to walk away from a situation that was causing me stress and just to trust him.

You can read about it here if you have not already.

The point is that he opened the door. I still had to go to the interview, interview well, have the courage to start a new job, with a new team, in a project that was outside my comfort zone and would require a fast track of growth and learning.

God meets me every day at work and helps me. I have been given gifts and abilities by God, but I am the one who is stepping out in faith and doing the hard work with Christ in me.

I believe that when you live a life of faith, you are stepping out into uncomfortable situations, walking through doors you've never walked through before, talking to people you haven't talked to before, collaborating, never comfortably. Our personal growth and our faith growth can only grow in the stretch zone, which is just outside our comfort zone. We cannot grow in our comfort zone.

In my experience, many Christians believe that if it's meant to be from God, it will drop in their lap, and feel comfortable and ‘right.’ Sometimes, being too supernaturally focussed and losing sight of the fact that God uses humans to outwork his plans on earth, this requires human effort, faith, and courage, in partnership with God.

As part of my summary and in the hopes that this will be encouraging to you, as it was to me years ago, I will share a quote from a famous Author Marianne Williamson.

Reading this a couple of decades ago really changed my perspective and made me realise that when we shine our lights, by recognising our successes in a way that gives glory to God but celebrates our own part, it encourages others to do the same.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles"

This is all a journey like everything else, and change takes as long as it does, depending on where we are starting from and our willingness to practice.

I am far from a biblical scholar, so this is written as a personal reflection, some lived experiences, and observations, and in the spirit of encouragement as always, in the hopes that by sharing some of my own bits of my journey and insights, someone else may be encouraged on their journey.

Tips:

• Start to quietly recognise yourself in your successes and bring those things into prayer and conversation when appropriate.

• Being able to celebrate successes doesn't mean we talk about every little win aloud or online, some things are just meant to be between you and God, but if we keep everything to ourselves, then others don’t get to be encouraged.

• In a world that is full of BAD news, sharing good news of what you are up to with God is always well received and like a breath of fresh air.

• Pray or reflect before you share.

• Start by thanking God for his part and then share your part.

• Start to think about how you take compliments and let them soak in, it may just be God sending someone your way to encourage you!

Philippians 4: 13 (amplified)

“I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfil His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]”

Arohanui

Jen xx

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