Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God. [Habakkuk 2:4 (NLT)]

Father, help me know the difference between the pleasure and satisfaction that comes from a job well done, achieving a long-term goal, or accomplishing a challenging task and the prideful arrogance that comes from thinking I am better than someone else. Keep my heart humble.

Pride, after all, is one of the seven deadly sins – and the worst, according to most theologians, because it elevates the self to the place of God. … Pride as a sin is an attitude toward oneself and others, while the other thing we call pride is a feeling about excellence. To take pride in one’s work is not the same as taking pride in one’s birth. The first is a form of self-respect; the second is a form of snobbery. [From “Pieces of Eight” by Sidney J. Harris]