Pride.

There's a quote by Theodore Roosevelt that says, "Comparison is the thief of joy." Can I just say that I absolutely love this quote? I had it as the background image on my phone for several months as a daily reminder. Recently however, that quote has come to have a different meaning in my mind. You see, originally I saw this quote as a reminder to not compare myself to others that I see as better than myself. For instance, "I shouldn't feel bad if someone else is prettier, smarter, funnier, or nicer than I am. Comparing myself to them will just steal all my joy, because it will make me feel bad about myself." This is what I interpreted this quote to be saying, every time I unlocked my phone and saw those words lit up on my screen. But now I see it differently...I think I was missing a huge part of what this quote is really trying to express. No, we should not feel bad about ourselves, but I think Roosevelt may have been warning against something more damaging. I believe he may have been talking about pride.

 When I look at others, comparing and feeling bad about myself will steal happiness away from me....but it's when I'm comparing and being prideful of myself that my joy will be taken away. Do you see the difference there? Happiness and joy are completely different things. Happiness is a temporary feeling, whereas joy can be a lifestyle. Joy is more than just an emotion, it comes from the Lord. Pride steals joy by making us self-focused. It's so easy to get into the trap of thinking highly of ourselves, and not about the well-being of others. In Jesus' time, He spoke about a lot of topics that people struggled with...all of which we still struggle with today. One of my favorite parables that Jesus ever told, has do do with this very issue....Pride. 

In Luke 18, Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. He says, 

 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’  

But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 

 I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

You see, the Pharisee was prideful, which in turn made him unjustified before God. The man who was humble went home justified. The phrase, "Pride comes before the fall" wasn't created because it has a nice ring to it....it's the TRUTH! Being prideful of ourselves in comparison to others is damaging, and has absolutely no value to it. 

So how do we break from this self-centeredness? How do we move away from this prideful behavior and into a life of joy? The answer, I'm sorry to say, isn't an easy one... the answer is to learn humility. Humility is gained through practice as we grow in wisdom and in grace. It is achieved by being put into circumstances where you could be prideful, but you choose not to be. It is gained by taking a conscious effort to view others as better than ourselves. Humility is not something you're born with...it's a mindset that is learned through practice and God's grace.   

I know humility is a hard thing to accomplish, but all things are possible with God's help. This week, let's all ask God to show us which areas of our lives are filled with pride. Let's ask him to help us to not only overcome that pride, but also live a lifestyle full of humility. And finally, let's all remember those wise words from President Roosevelt....Comparison is the thief of joy.