Pride

In my previous life, I traveled several times each month for work. I made all my own arrangements, so I became very good at booking flights, finding the best places to stay, and figuring out how to get from one place to another. I was an expert at navigating airports and train stations. I was kind of a big deal.

Imagine my surprise when my wife and I were traveling in Europe last month and I realized we were on the wrong train to the airport.

We got up early, packed all our bags, took public transportation to the station, and then I confidently put us on the wrong train. Instead of heading to the airport, we were making our way into the Austrian countryside, nowhere near where we needed to be.

A complete panic hit when we realized the mistake and couldn’t get off until the next station. We jumped into a cab for a harrowing 45-minute, 180 Euro race to the airport. My wife let out a small cry of relief when the gate agent allowed us to check our bags well past the deadline.

We barely made it.

What unnerved me most wasn’t simply the mistake itself—it was realizing how much of my identity was tied to being competent.

Humbling experiences can be wonderful teachers. Owning our mistakes and being honest with ourselves and others brings freedom. But there is an incredible force within us that resists this kind of humility.

The world we live in is built on pretending. We fake it till we make it. We curate glossy images that hide the pain in our lives. Our busyness often becomes a way of hiding from ourselves. Many of us grew up in families where what happened inside the home was very different from the image presented to the outside world.

All of this image management breeds pride, loneliness, and anxiety. We become terrified of being found out.

Listen to the wisdom of the Psalmist:

“Though the LORD is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud.” Psalm 138:6

God cares for the humble. When we express our need and dependence on God, we are met with love and grace—compassionate, gracious, and abounding in love toward all who reach out to him. Ahhh… that sounds like freedom.

But there is also a warning here. When we hide, cover up, and pretend, we miss out on the closeness God offers. God keeps his distance not because he doesn’t care, but because pride convinces us we are self-sufficient. Vulnerability before God is one of the primary ways we deepen our connection with him.

I realize humility is not exactly in vogue right now. The strong, powerful, and self-reliant seem to be winning the day. But I want to invite you to grow in humility and experience the freedom and joy of not having it all together.

Maybe your next step is simply slowing down long enough to become honest about where you are tired, anxious, lonely, or trying to hold everything together on your own.

If you want help creating space for that kind of honesty before God, I’d love to walk with you. I currently have openings for spiritual direction and coaching sessions. Consider Finding Quiet Together, a five-week prayer cohort designed to help people slow down, listen to God, and experience deeper connection with him and others.

You don’t have to pretend your way through life. There is another way.