“骄傲在败坏以先，狂心在跌倒之前。” - 箴 16:18
在许多语言体系中，都会出现两种骄傲。这两种都与某种程度上的体面或自豪有关。一种骄傲是积极的——例如，做父母的认为他们孩子的成长很了不起。但另一种骄傲是非常糟糕的。
纵观箴言，我们看到每当人寻求智慧时，就会收获美好的结果。然而真正的智慧是藉着神才能获得的。即使是有智慧的人，也会在生活中经历许多波折，但他们拥有的智慧会帮助他们渡过难关。
但要小心，切勿靠自身的力量去经营自己的生活。要谨防骄傲，不要以为你取得的成就比别人的更有价值。或者因为你自己做成了什么，就不需要来自任何人的帮助。又或者，最危险的是，因为你一直自给自足，所以你以为自己比那些依赖他人的人更了不起。
这种骄傲会带来毁灭性的后果。这节经文以诗化的语言道出，如果你在不靠神的情况下做成了什么事，那么这事还算不得好。因为这不会持久。迟早有一天，你在不靠神的情况下缔造的所谓风光的生活会突然崩塌。
祷告
父神，骄傲促使我们将自己的生命建立在这个世界所珍视的摇摇欲坠的成功之上，请保守我们远离这种愚蠢的骄傲。奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。
箴言 16:17-20
17正直人的道是远离恶事，谨守己路的是保全性命。
18骄傲在败坏以先，狂心在跌倒之前。
19心里谦卑与穷乏人来往，强如将掳物与骄傲人同分。
20谨守训言的必得好处，倚靠耶和华的便为有福。
Pride
"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." - Proverbs 16:18
The same two kinds of pride show up in many languages. Both kinds have to do with being majestic or exalted in some way. One kind of pride is good—for example, when parents view the development of their children as remarkable. But the other kind of pride is very bad.
Throughout Proverbs we read about the good development that can happen when someone pursues wisdom. True wisdom is gained through God. And even though a wise person can go through many ups and downs in life, the wisdom they’ve gained will help to hold their life together.
But beware of trying to keep it all together on your own. Beware of the pride that makes you think that anything you built on your own is worth more. Or that because you built it by yourself you won’t need anyone’s help to hold it together. Or, most dangerous of all, that because you have been self-sufficient, you are a greater person than people who have relied on others.
That kind of pride leads to destruction. Poetically this verse is saying that if you have built something without God, then it isn’t built very well. It’s not built to last. Sooner or later, the so-called majestic life you built without God will simply fall apart.
Prayer
Father God, keep us from the foolish pride that prompts us to build our lives on the rickety version of success prized by this world. Amen.
