4 Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else. 5 For each person will have to carry his own load. (Galatians 6:3-4 CSB)
There is nothing wrong with having pride in what we do. It is only when it leads to boasting that it can become sinful.
The reality is that taking pride in what we do makes us better. People who take pride in what they do tend to be pretty hard on themselves to begin with. Yes, they can be perfectionist as well. So taking pride in oneself can be a double edge sword. But I like to look at the positive nature of pride.
And in relation to the latter part of our scripture, people who take pride in what they do tend to carry their own load. In fact they tend to carry more than their own load. They tend to pick up the load from others as well. You will never hear someone who takes pride in what they do say, “that’s not my job.”
This pride also extends beyond their work lives. Typically, these are people who take pride in every area of their lives. Their appearance, their homes, their families, their ministry. They may tend also to be overworked, overburdened but rarely overlooked. No, people like this are the “go to” people we know. They are the ones who get things done and maybe even make things happen.
Yes, pride can be a sin. But too, it can be a great source of motivation.
