How to Avoid The Destructive Power of Pride in Business

A Cautionary Tale

The Old Testament tells us a cautionary story of a young king named Uzziah. When he became king of Judah at age sixteen, he set his heart to seek God and put himself under the mentorship of Zechariah. And “as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper” (2 Chron. 26:5). Because of this, he acquired wealth and also became politically and militarily powerful. Then things changed. “His fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong. But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction” ( 2 Chron 26:15–16).

Not many people talk about the downside to success. The challenge to stay humble with success is a very real one. Pride can often grow alongside success and a life that goes unchecked can become increasingly self-reliant. It is a tension that I don’t hear talked about that much. Whereas the topic of success can be found everywhere.

“Make no mistake about it: pride is the great sin. It is the devil's most effective and destructive tool.”

C.S.LewisTweet

A life that is navigated by pride leads to a deeper dependency on oneself, the complete opposite of supernatural business. Supernatural business relies on wisdom, grace, and insight that comes from God.  When we become self-sufficient, we shut off the flow of God’s blessing on our life, our mind and heart internalize for solutions, and as a result, we put unmanageable pressure on ourselves. This is a burden that we were not meant to carry. It happens far too frequently in business.

The Deception of Pride

Pride isn’t only found in the over-inflated ego stereotype. The desire for significance, becoming hyper-critical of others, and overworking are all sneaky forms of pride. The root of all these actions is a growing pattern of self-centered thinking and self-importance. That’s not to say you are not important, you are! The crucial question is where does our importance derive from? Ourselves or God? When we build our lives around ourselves we will become increasingly autonomous, depending less and less on other people. This habit is detrimental to relationships, both with God and with other people. When pride increases, accountability decreases.  Accountability is a safeguard to your personal life and business life.

Grace is made available to anyone who needs it.  It takes a humble approach to receive help from God but a simple prayer invites Him into the situation. Is there a situation that you need to invite God into?

And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

James 4:6 NLT