Dear Church,

I’ve been thinking about spiritual pride and how dangerous it is, not just “out there,” but in here, in our own hearts, in my own heart.

Spiritual pride is when we quietly assume, “I see clearer. I’m more faithful.  I’m more discerning.  I’m more right.”  It’s the kind of sin that can quote Scripture, sing loud, serve often, and still be far from the heart of God.

Jesus exposed it in Luke 18.  Two men went to pray.  One stood tall and thanked God he wasn’t like other people.  The other couldn’t even lift his eyes and simply cried, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”  Jesus said the humble man went home justified, not the religious one (Luke 18: 9–14).

That’s what makes spiritual pride so deadly: it blinds us while convincing us we can see.

• It makes us harsh instead of tender. 
  “If anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself” (Galatians 6:3).
• It makes us self-reliant instead of grace-dependent.
  “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
• It makes us sharp in argument but cold in love.
  “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1).
• It makes us quick to judge and slow to repent.
  “Why do you see the speck… but do not notice the log in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3–5).

And here’s the heartbreak: spiritual pride doesn’t just harm the proud person; it fractures the church.  It turns brothers into opponents, convictions into weapons, and disciples into critics. It creates a culture where people feel evaluated more than loved.

The mark of maturity isn’t “I’m right.”  It’s “I’m humble.” Not “Look at my strength,” but “Look at His mercy.”

This is what I am asking myself at the start of this year:

• Where have I grown sharp instead of soft?
• Where have I loved being right more than loving people?
• Where have I assumed the worst instead of bearing with one another?

May God give us the spirit of the tax collector, not the Pharisee: “Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner.” (Luke 18:13) That’s the soil where unity grows. That’s where repentance becomes normal. That’s where grace becomes tangible.  And that’s where Jesus is pleased to dwell.

Be Encouraged,
Mathews