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Motivational
Message
Issue 13
January 6, 2003
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Plagued
With Pride
In both my professional and personal
life, I have had the occasion to contend with
individuals plagued with pride.
“Plagued” with pride because of their
urge to habitually exalt themselves, while
intentionally ridiculing others. Pride at this
level incessantly inflicts your inner being,
while simultaneously infesting the lives that you
touch.
A couple of weeks ago, while
attending a meeting, I observed an individual
whose words and actions displayed this particular
plague of pride. Plagued because she knew
everything about a subject that she -- actually
knew nothing about. Plagued because she
intentionally spit out degrading words toward
others – in the attempt to exalt herself.
With dying composure and tight lips, I observed
as she made a spectacle of herself. My initial
thought was that of vindication, and then I
thought, “poor thing, how pitiful and
unaware is the person who feels that obtaining
major accomplishments is justification to cease
learning and to know it all.” As the meeting
unfolded, my primary objectives were to ignore
this arrogance and focus on the subject at hand.
I left the meeting with dual
thoughts of wondering if I should have expressed
my opinion, but realizing that the innocent one
was indeed the stronger and by no means needed my
help. I also realized that individuals plagued
with such pride, no doubt are battling inner
conflicts and insecurities.
The innocent one was strong because
of inner strength. She was strong because of her
humility. She was strong because of her awareness
of the other's weakness. Her strength actually
reminded me that exalting ourselves at the
expense of others essentially degrades us in the
minds and lives of others.
Infested pride can cause you your
life and eat away at your very existence from the
inside out. Outward rewards and accomplishments
alone cannot build you, but must be accompanied
by humility and nobility.
Take pride in being humble -- for in
humility, you are strengthened -- and in
humility, you are honored.
Copyright © 2002 by Audrina Jones
Bunton. REPRINTING THIS ARTICLE: Permission is
granted to reproduce or distribute this article
only in its entirety and provided copyright is
acknowledged. You can find other articles to
choose from at http://www.purposefully-living.com/mailing%20list.htm
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Think About It!!
Proverbs 11: 2 --
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with
humility comes wisdom.
Proverbs 15: 33 --
The fear of the LORD is the instruction for
wisdom, And before honor comes humility.
Proverbs 18: 2 -- A
[self-confident] fool has no delight in
understanding but only in revealing his personal
opinions and himself.
Proverbs 29: 23 --
A man's pride will bring him low, but he who is
of a humble spirit will obtain honor.
James 4: 6 -- He
gives us more and more strength to stand against
such evil desires. As the Scriptures say,
"God sets himself against the proud, but he
shows favor to the humble."
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Electronic mail address
ajbunton@purposefully-living.com
Web address
http://www.purposefully-living.com
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