Whats the difference between being prideful and wanting to win a competition?

[Dave M]

Whats the difference between being prideful and wanting to win a competition?

The biblical meaning of pride, versus wanting to win a competition ?

thanks

 

[B-A-C]

I don't think all pride is necessarily bad. We can be proud of our children. Proud of a friend.
But pride in ourselves... that can be a problem.

The word "pride" is only the New testament 3 times in my Bible.

Mark 7:22; Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
1Tim 3:6; Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
1Jn 2:16; For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

The Greek word here is...

ὑπερηφανία
huperēphania
hoop-er-ay-fan-ee'-ah
From G5244; haughtiness: - pride.
Total KJV occurrences: 1

So then what is haughtiness, being haughty? I think it's an important distinction.

I won an award once, I won a race once, I won some team sport games a number of times in my life. I was proud of those things, but they didn't define me.
I guess I've never won anything huge, I've never played in a World Series, or Superbowl, just local city games. So it wasn't something to be especially proud of for a long time.
And the next year someone else beat us.. so it wasn't long lasting in any case. I didn't dwell on it all the time. It didn't make me who I was.
If God told me something I owned made me too prideful, I got rid of it.

I've seen more than "Gay pride" event at places I have worked, cities I have lived in over the years. This is a different kind of pride.
This is haughtiness. I don't care what anyone else thinks about me, ( not even God ) I'm going to do it, and I'm proud of doing it.
It seems these people dwell on this quite frequently. It DOES define who they are. It DOES make them who they are.
If God ever told them to get rid of this, well it seems they have already said no (likely a number of times) before this point.

I'm using homosexuality as an example. But the same could go for sports, a beauty pageant, a spelling bee, even knowledge of the Bible.
Not all competitions are bad. Not all pride is bad. But when that pride causes you to look down on others... then it's a haughty pride.

 

[Squeakybro]

They are the same thing. Did you know wanting is a sin.

Testing Your Faith

Jas 1:1
¶
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

Jas 1:2
¶
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

Jas 1:3
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

Jas 1:4
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

 

[Curtis]

Pride always points to the one who is prideful and not the one for whom they have pride in. If I have pride in my children it is because they are "my" children. Pride always has the "I" connected to it. This was Satans downfall.

God the Father never had "pride" in His Son Jesus, but what he did have was, "this is my beloved Son in who I am well pleased" God is never proud of us, but he is well pleased in us when walk by faith because without faith it is impossible to "please" God.

 

[Squeakybro]

Pride always points to the one who is prideful and not the one for whom they have pride in. If I have pride in my children it is because they are "my" children. Pride always has the "I" connected to it. This was Satans downfall.

God the Father never had "pride" in His Son Jesus, but what he did have was, "this is my beloved Son in who I am well pleased" God is never proud of us, but he is well pleased in us when walk by faith because without faith it is impossible to "please" God.

Well put.

 

[Squeakybro]

Now if God put you in a competition to represent Jesus. And you show how Jesus would handle it if He won or if He lost. That wouldnt be a sin.

 

[Born Again 2004]

I thought that was being COMPETITIVE!
If being competitive because of pride now that is a slippery slope.

If you win from being competitive and you BOAST afterwards, then I think that would be prideful!