Do you offend people with your pride and not even know it? Boosting your self-esteem is a selfish way of being prideful. The Bible talks about how pride is bad numerous times. Pride for our selfish interest is what the Bible is referring to. Do the Bible verses about pride go as deep as having pride in your school, sports team, job, hobbies? I would say yes.
Google defines pride as :a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.
For us to be humble servants, we cannot be prideful. Does the definition of pride fit things that you do in your life? If so, I would strongly urge you to reconsider how you approach opportunities in your life. It is great to feel a sense of accomplishment. When we work hard, we like to be recognized for the great job that we did. How does this behavior translate into a Biblically correct way to approach accomplishments in our life? Proverbs tells us quite about being prideful.
Proverbs 11:2 NASB “When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom.”
Proverbs 16:5 NASB “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.”
Proverbs 29:23 NASB “A man’s pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor.”
Proverbs 26:12 NASB “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”
Proverbs 27:2 NASB “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips.”
Don't offend people with your pride.
Instead of seeking gratification for own acts, why not praise others instead? As Christians, if we do a good job complementing others for their hard work, there will not be a need for them to fill their hearts with self-promotion. When we are high on our horse, we chase others away and leave a bitter taste in their mouth. Some of these people may not want to attend a school because of the pride factor. Sport's teams may lose players because of pride. You may get passed up for the promotion because of your arrogance. Your hobbies may become a one man obsession because no one wants to hear you talk about how good you are or what you have.
Removing pride in our lives takes great wisdom and endurance. Instead of making things about us, we need to make things about God. Pray to God before we tackle any project. After we succeed, give praise to God for helping us with the situation. Make your attitude about pleasing God, and you won't offend people with your pride. We are all guilty of being prideful to some extent. Let's turn the sin of pride into a way to glorify what God does in our lives.
James 4:6 NASB “But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”