by Thomas DiVita
Men want and need to feel good about themselves. What could be more natural and more beneficial than to feel good about yourself—to have a good self image? But when does being proud of our position or accomplishments become a sin?
Pride is a sin of comparison in which we compare our strength to the other person’s weaknesses; in order to make ourselves feel better we put other people down. The easiest way to look down on others is to pick out people at less stature and accomplishments.
The Bible tells us about pride in Galatians 6:4. “Let everyone be sure that he is doing his very best, for then he will have the personal satisfaction of work well done, and won’t need to compare himself with someone else. Each of us must bear some faults and burdens of his own. For none of us is perfect!”
The key to a proper type of pride is not to compare ourselves to others. We must be accountable for our actions. The purpose of accountability is nothing less than to each day be more Christlike in all our ways and even more intimate with Him. Unless we are answerable on a regular basis for the key areas of our personal lives, we, like sheep will go astray. The way of the scriptures points to accountability among believers.
Why is accountability so important anyway? Matthew 12:36 says, “And I tell you this, that you must give account on Judgment Day for every idle word you speak.” Romans 14:12 says, “Yes, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”