There’s always a saying that pride comes before a fall. In a number of African fables, this is vindicated when the big, proud animals are usually brought down to earth because of their haughtiness.

Pride is a dangerous and infectious attitude that affects so many people today. But where does it come from? How does pride affect you and your relationship with God? And how does it normally affect those around you?

The Scripture holds answers to these questions.

That pride is a sin is not debatable. The Bible says in Mark 7:21-23 that it "defiles a person.” Pride must be consciously handled. When you don’t take this sin seriously, you are not even going to recognize this sinful attitude. Pride is going to affect those decisions that you make.

"Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” (Proverbs 8:13b)  "Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord.  Be assured, he will not go unpunished.” (Proverbs 16:5).

The above verses are gripping. God hates when we are proud. But you may ask, why does God hate it?

It’s because it’s coming from inside our heart. The proud man will always believe that he’s on a higher pedestal than others. You are going to avoid the people that you do not wish to associate with. Believers in Christ are called to be servants (Mark 9:35). When your lifestyle prevents you from serving the Lord, then you should immediately seek repentance.

In your life, you must have come across a proud person. We had a neighbour who was so proud of his earthly achievement that he even shunned his own father. Life to him was all about his collection of clean cars, his fine house, and of course, his beautiful family.

But one day, he just came blind and people said that this was his punishment from God. He had to sell the cars to seek treatment. But when he couldn’t get his eyesight back, he fell into deep despair and eventually died.

This is a perfect example that as children of God, we shouldn’t be proud of our earthly possessions.According to an online article by Derek Hill, it is because of Satan’s pride that sin started. Satan wanted to be God. 

God cannot be in the presence of sin, which is why He cast Satan into his own realm where he could be king, in hell.  Satan is coming to a dreadful end, indeed, because his fate in the lake of fire is approaching quickly.

Fred Masengesho, a staunch Christian in Kimihurura says that pride is some hurtful attitude that may easily come as part of someone life. Since we can all fall prey to it, the only recourse we can do is repent when we do fail. "This is an abomination to our God and must be kept in check,” he says.

Proverbs 29: 23 is curt. "One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.”As Christians, we should know that pride was brought into this world by Satan after he was thrown out of Paradise.

Those who exhibit it are thus his agents. Haughtiness is the direct opposite of Godly humility. In spiritual level, it leads to disregard, disobedience and disrespect to God.

This is what changed the once cherished Lucifer to the wicked Satan we know today after he became full of himself. It’s what can turn us away from our God and must be avoided at all costs.