It seems to be a common problem of this earthly life. Frogs do it, some birds do it, and people do it. We all tend to be guilty of trying to puff ourselves up in the eyes of someone else. We want them to think highly of us, we want to impress them, we want to prove our worth, we want them to love us. What ever the reason, there is a small part of each of us that wishes we could have the brightly colored feathers of the male peacock and nary another care in the world but to say, “Look at me, I’m awesome!” Well, okay, maybe we wouldn’t say it quite that way, but we say it none the less.
To “vaunt” means to make a vain display of one’s own worth or attainments, to brag or boast to another. or make someone else look worse. In Christ’s life we learn that there were times for public displays of His love and power, but there were also many private, quiet times when the Lord held His peace instead of displaying his power or issued a command to go, and tell no one.
Specifically, I think of a time of teaching: the parable of the Pharisee and the publican:
“The Pharisee stood [in the temple] and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
“I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
“And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” (Luke 18:10–13.)
The Pharisee spent a great deal of time comparing himself to those around him and publicly declaring himself to be above them. Are we guilty of this same sin? Have you ever secretly looked at another member of your congregation and thought, I’m so much better off than so and so? Have you ever walked past the man on the street and disdainfully wondered why he doesn’t get a job? Sometimes it’s very fleeting and subtle, other times we allow those thoughts to linger, in our weakest moments we might share these unrighteous thoughts with another.
Oh, to be more like the publican and quietly share our hearts with God, acknowledging that He knows us better than any other, that He is aware of our every fault and loves us still. That He alone can save us, and bring us back into His presence.
My other favorite example comes from the Book of Mormon. It is a story found in Alma 31. Alma, acting as a missionary, goes among a people called Zoramites. These people have a particular worship tradition similar to that of the Pharisees. They were a wealthy group of people who felt it necessary to dress in all of their finery once a week then taking turns standing on a highly visible tower and reciting a memorized prayer thanking God for all the ways He had made them better than their neighbors.
Maybe it’s just me, but I can almost see Alma rolling his eyes at them. Fortunately, there was another group of people living in the same area, who were not wealthy. They were not allowed to worship on the tower. They were humble and meek and hungry to know God.
I know which group I’d rather be found among. I also know I have a long way to go.
There are many tiny ways our pride peeks through:
- Not giving a Sunday school teacher our full attention because we feel we know more about the subject than she or that she seems ill prepared.
- Not keeping appointments, being consistently late, or not keeping promises.
- Taking credit for another’s work.
- Placing blame where it does not belong.
- Displaying or gathering worldly goods to prove we can “keep up with the Jones’”.
- Pushing ourselves, or our family members to better grades, better salaries, more awards, while costing everyone their sanity and happiness in the process.
- Even wearing costly apparel, or spending too much time and money trying to perfect our bodies.
May we all be a little more aware of our personal tendencies toward puffed behaviors and be a little more like the meek and humble who readily accept their dependence on the Lord. Who accepted those around us on their own terms with no desire to prove ourselves their better.
There have been many discussions here on LDSBlogs.com about pride. You can find a few of these discussions here:
Be Thou Humble
Pride: Enmity against Our Fellow Man
The False Gods We Worship
Pride: Fighting Against God
