Pride

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Long time ago, when I was assigned in another facility, I used to do sick calls prior to the end of my shift in the morning. I tried to be fast by doing the treatments first, like dressing changes, blood pressure checks, footsoaks [yeah, sounds like spa treatment!]…


Prior to doing my sick call, I usually reviewed the charts and tried to prepare the medications I anticipated to give. For instance, if an inmate was complaining of coughs and cold, I would prepare the pain reliever and cold pills. It made my sick call more organized. Thus, everyone got seen and I finished my list, instead of passing it on for the next day’s sick call.


I asked the inmates direct to the point kind of questions. I tried not to give them more time inside my little office. They would tend to look around and would get familiar with what things were in a particular place. Also, I tried not to be distracted. That was for my own safety and for safe keeping of things around us.


One time, as I was in the middle of my sick call and had probably just 3 inmates left, I was thinking I would have a lot of time left for my charting. When a well-sculpted inmate walked in. I remembered reading his chart and his sick call request, complaining of cold symptoms.


I looked at him once and greeted him a good morning. He sat down on the chair against the table I was using. He flexed his arms. But I didn’t say anything. I knew right away that he wanted me to give him a compliment. He flexed it some more. No response from this nurse.


“Sir, what brings you here today?”

“Uhmmm…I don’t feel good.”

“I know you don’t feel good. Can you be more specific?”

He lifted the sleeves on both of his arms. And flexed his muscles. Every muscle was well-built from using the bars to lift themselves up or do hundreds of push-ups.

“Look at these,” he said, making his muscles move as if he was Hercules.

“What about it, Sir?” I asked, still with the same stoic face.

“Can’t you see?”

“See what? If you came here to just display your muscles, obviously, you’re not sick. Kindly step out of my office now and you may go,” as I called the deputy at the same time and told him about the situation.


The inmate was surprised. Surprised that I didn’t compliment him and that I ended his sick call just like that. But he wasn’t upset with my latter gesture. He went back to his cell. Turned around really quick and said to me, “I’m sorry, Ma’am.”

“It’s okay. But if you’re really, really sick, you can come see us anytime,” I replied.

We can feel good about a job we did so well and there’s nothing wrong with that. But what God hates is the kind of pride that arises from self-righteousness. He hates it because it stops us from seeking Him.

Because of pride, many people do not accept Jesus as their Savior. Pride is a sin that God hates because we are giving credit to ourselves, instead of giving it to God, Who accomplishes things. It is bragging about the glory that truly belongs to Him. It is worshipping ourselves, instead of the Lord Who deserves our worship.

Next time you parade your muscles to anyone, think about Who enabled and sustained you to have those in the first place.

From NIV:

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” ~ James 4:6 [ESV]

18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. 19 Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud. ~ Proverbs 16:18-19

3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ~ Matthew 5:3

4 In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. ~Psalm 10:4

7For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? ~ 1 Corinthians 4:7

13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. ~ Proverbs 8:13

“A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you're looking down, you can't see something that's above you.” ~ C. S. Lewis