Pride
I remember growing up in a pretty religious household. The idea pride was sort of frowned upon. According to Compelling Truth, “Pride, as discussed here, refers to a sinful, arrogant, haughty, insolent, self-reliant attitude or spirit that causes a person to have an inflated or puffed up view of themselves (Proverbs 21:4). This is different from “taking pride” in a job well done. Those who are proud think of themselves as better than others and look down on others with contempt and derision. The proud do not have a correct or sober estimation of themselves, their abilities or their positions (Romans 12:3). They see themselves as over and above others and believe themselves to be pre-eminent. In the minds of the proud, they are the most important people in the world.” (“Pride — What Does the Bible Say?”) It always seemed to be portrayed that being prideful was a bad thing. While I am still pretty spiritual, I have sometimes fallen away from the complete black and white explanations and statements that come with organized religion.
To me, pride has a different definition or meaning now. I was in middle school when I ran into my first instance of knowing a gay person. At first, I hate to admit, I was disgusted. It was against everything I had ever been taught in church and at home. I did not know how to navigate this feeling of liking this person and WHO they were when it came to my faith. I used to love to proclaim the statement, “Hate the Sin, Not the Sinner”. I used to think I was the best kind of person to believe that. It was a lot of inner turmoil. It was not until my early to mid-twenties that I started really opening up about the idea of the gay community. In the end I realized that the statement was not tolerant at all, it was just a way to tell someone that who they were was wrong, while trying to appear like a good person. In fact, that did not make me a good person.
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It is a sad revelation to realize that you are not as inherently good as you think you are. That you are judgmental and intolerant. It was then I knew I wanted to change and made those steps towards change.
Within the last few years, I’ve had two children come out to me. Changing my viewpoint on the idea of pride helped me show them I was a safe parent to be who they are around. I volunteered a few times for Space Coast Pride at booths, with local theaters, and with the Free Mom Hugs booth. To me, pride should be a feeling everyone has for just being the person they are. I still believe in God and I do believe God does not make mistakes.
I have even been able to explore those aspects of myself, who I am as a person, a sexual being, a grown woman, a mother, and wife. To take pride in who I am as a person, but in a way that hurts no one else. That is the deal with pride. It can be a beautiful thing, as long as it does not dim anyone else’s shine.
Source Cited: “Pride — What Does the Bible Say?” CompellingTruth.org, www.compellingtruth.org/Bible-pride.html. Accessed 14 Nov. 2021.
