Pride is rightfully known as the foundation for the seven deadly sins; the other six are implications of pride. Pride invades our lives in a myriad of ways. Every human being must fight it.

One of the most insidious manifestations of pride is comparison, the act of comparing ourselves to others. “I know more than so-and-so.”  “I’m a good spouse, but he sure isn’t.” “I donate to charities, but they don’t.”  Such are ways that pride inflates ourselves. It goes the other way, too, when comparisons wrongly diminish ourselves. “She has more success with her talents than I have; I am terrible for wasting my gifts.” “We both went to the same high school and she is a CEO now and I’m not even mid-level yet.” “My sister is such a good pianist and I could never learn, though we both had the same teacher.”

It strikes me that most advertising of any type, most “measures” of social media success, most determinations of “role models,” and so on, are based on comparisons that feed, or are fed by, pride. Look more successful than others, have more followers and friends than others, have a better yard than your neighbor, look less old than your contemporaries…the list is truly endless. And unfortunate.

There are right and fair comparisons, too, when we look at them through humble eyes and see the grace of God in the process. My mother would often say when seeing someone in a difficult situation in life, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”  She didn’t see herself as better, only blessed. Considering the many challenges she faced over the span of her life, she understood, as Job did, that God giveth and God taketh away.

Pride made devils out of angels. We would do well to humbly accept our station in life while praying for the grace to do God’s will with the gifts and blessings that He has given us. Making comparisons is a slippery slope that rarely takes us to a good place emotionally, mentally or spiritually.