I think I remember reading in your column some time ago that you believe pride is responsible for many of the sins we commit. What did you mean by this? I don't see what's wrong with having pride in doing a good job, for instance, do you? — W.McC.

No, it isn't wrong to take "pride in a job well done"—if by this you mean being satisfied because we have done our best. The Bible says, "it is good and proper for a man ... to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor" (Ecclesiastes 5:18).

But this isn't the same as selfish pride—which is what the Bible condemns. This kind of pride shuts God out of our lives because it makes us believe that we don't need Him. This kind of pride puts self on the throne of our hearts, instead of God. It leads to arrogance because it causes us to think that we are better than others. It blinds us to our own faults and leads to jealousy and conflict. It also makes us insensitive to the needs of others, and causes us to control others instead of loving them.

No wonder God says, "I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech" (Proverbs 8:13). The Bible also warns, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18). Satan appealed to Adam and Eve's pride, causing them to sin—and we have been paying the price ever since.

Don't let pride—or anything else—keep you from Christ. Instead, humble yourself at the foot of the cross, and open your heart to Christ's transforming power. Pride is a dead-end road, but Christ leads us to Heaven.