The Anatomy of Pride: A Tale of Three Sisters

Ryan Binkley

4 minute read

 

I’ve definitely had my share of prideful moments, frankly speaking, who hasn’t? Pride is one sin that’s near and close to us at all times, and we need to be on the lookout for it so it does not creep in. The sin of pride has three younger sisters, who all work in the shadows of our soul. They are Vanity, Assumption, and Presumption. It’s easy to hide a prideful spirit if you  only lookout for one of the sisters,  ignoring the other two while they wreak havoc in your life, your work, and your family. Now that we’ve named them, let’s take a closer look at each.

  1. Vanity

Vanity is the sister that’s obsessed with self. C.S. Lewis wrote on humility and said “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” Such a habit would be the death of Vanity. Under Vanity’s influence, we may find ourselves boasting, seeking attention, or putting others down to elevate ourselves. While Vanity is often associated with becoming overly focused on physical appearance or possessions, I’ve seen many replace those with personal accomplishments. Vanity convinces us that she, not God, defines our worth. In the book of Exodus, Pharaoh embodied the stubbornness that can only come through vanity. 

  1. Assumption

Assumption is the sister of pride that convinces us we know it all. It’s the belief that our opinions and perspectives are always right, and that others are wrong or inferior. As a business leader, I’ve seen incredible organizations crumble because of a leader’s sin of assumption. Assumption can lead to arrogance, close-mindedness, and a lack of willingness to learn from others. We may find ourselves dismissing other people’s ideas, judging them harshly, or becoming defensive when someone disagrees with us. In 2 Samuel, King Saul had an advisor named Ahitophel. After Saul failed to follow his advice for the first time, he committed suicide. Assumption had filled his heart, quickly turning into bitterness. 

  1. Presumption

Presumption is the sister of pride that convinces us we deserve certain things or outcomes. It’s the belief that we’re entitled to success, recognition, or praise, without putting in the necessary effort. Jesus does NOT teach a system of karma: if I do good, good things happen; if I do bad, bad things happen. Presumption thrives off of our own self made ‘karma.’ It can lead to laziness, entitlement, and a lack of gratitude for what we have. We may find ourselves expecting things to be handed to us, feeling resentful when they’re not, or blaming others for our failures. Jesus graciously spares us from karma (getting what we deserve), ‘because the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.’ The younger son in the story of the Prodigal carried the weight of the sin of assumption, but luckily, his story has a happy ending. He experienced the gift of humility, eating the same slop of the pigs he was feeding.  

These sneaky sisters no longer have permission to hide. We need to be aware of their presence in our lives and work to overcome them through Jesus. The best news I can offer you today is that no matter how much control pride has in your life, it’s never too late to find freedom.

1 Peter 5:6 says “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you.”

It should give you hope that you and I have the ability to humble ourselves before God does it for us.