Wise Thought: Despise Pride, Proverbs 8:13

Despise Pride

Proverbs 8:13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil. I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

Wisdom is speaking in this verse. If we are to be wise, we will follow her counsel.

If we are to live in reverent fear (1 Pet 2:17), we certainly want to learn what it means to fear God. Part of fearing God is to know he will repay each one according to what they have done (Ro 2:6). Another part of fearing God is acting like God, loving the things he loves and hating the things he hates. It is true that hate is a strong word, but sin is so terrible that if we fail to hate it, we will in some way take part in it.

Here is some of what God hates:

• Pride
• Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall (Prov 16:18)
• Arrogance
• Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves (Philp 2:3).
• Evil Behavior
• The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like (Gal 5:19 - 21)
• Perverse Speech
• Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place (Eph 5:4)

A and K, wisdom says to hate these things because God hates them. But, just don't hate them in the lives of others, hate them in yourself, from being part of your own life. Your speech must be clean and uplifting. You must not have any arrogance that belittles and hurts others. Evil thoughts and actions are not fitting for you as God's child, and being proud of accomplishments, whether yours or someone else's will surely make you fall. Rise up then, daughters, for God is here to lift you up to new heights (Hab 3:19), and he will give you strength to live as he desires.

~Dad