Lessons from Titanic: Pride

I was watching the 1997 film TITANIC last night and if you know me, you’ll know that I have a fascination with all things Titanic! I love how you can say “Titanic” and everyone’s mind immediately goes to the sinking of a ship in 1912 and people start talking about the events that surrounded that fateful night. I love the story of Titanic so much that I completely disregarded everything I knew about the sinking of the RMS Titanic that I saw the movie (so much historical inaccuracy) no less than 5 times in the theater when it came out in 1997, then I saw it again in 2012 during the 100^th anniversary of the sinking—matter of fact, I saw it on April 14^th in 2012—100 years to the date of the sinking of Titanic. I have collectors coins commemorating the sinking of Titanic…AND…even bid on a fork from the wreckage of the Titanic—which I lost the auction on.

I can’t lie, the RMS Titanic was an amazing ship. In 1912 she was the largest man-made moving object. She was 882’ 9” long; 92’ 6” in width, 175 feet tall from the top of her funnels to the keel—with 104 feet being from the bridge down, 9 decks—So  a modern comparison would be the Carnival Fantasy, which has 10 decks.

However, the lessons that Titanic has given us has never been lost on me. The first lesson I think I ever really paid attention to, and that was made clear for me with the sinking of the Titanic is “PRIDE.” Now I know you are thinking ‘What kind of pride did these poor lost souls on the Titanic exhibit? If we read 2^nd Class Passenger Sylvia Caldwell (Mecherle) statement s about the sinking we get a pretty good idea of how prideful the people were. “We took no valuables with us as the ship was "unsinkable". After we came aboard the Titanic we were watching deck hands carrying up baggage I said to one "Is this ship really unsinkable?" He answered "Yes lady God himself could not sink this ship." We never realized how serious it was until after we were in the lifeboat & saw the Titanic half gone - standing on its head.”

There is a difference between the kind of pride that God hates (Proverbs 8:13) and the kind of pride we can feel about a job well done (Galatians 6:4) or the kind of pride we express over the accomplishment of loved ones (2 Corinthians 7:4). The kind of pride that stems from self-righteousness or conceit is sin, however, and God hates it because it is a hindrance to seeking Him.

            

Psalm 10:4 explains that the proud are so consumed with themselves that their thoughts are far from God. “In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” It is this spirit that is the opposite of the humility that God seeks. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3. The “poor in spirit” are those who recognize their utter spiritual bankruptcy and their inability to come to God aside from His divine grace. The proud on the other hand are blinded and they think they have no need of God. Even the deck hand on the Titanic was so full of pride that he stated that “God is so weak he can’t sink this ship.”

            

Too often, I think we get caught up in ourselves that we allow pride to take root and we completely start to lean on our own understanding and we, like that deck hand think “Even God can’t stop me!” But the simple truth is we are nothing without Christ. Throughout Scripture we are told about the consequences of pride. Proverbs 16:18-19 tells us that “pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.” Satan was cast out of heaven because of pride (Isaiah 14:12-15). He had the selfish audacity to attempt to replace God Himself as the rightful ruler of the universe. But Satan will be cast down to hell in the final judgment of God. For those who rise up in defiance against God, there is nothing ahead but disaster (Isaiah 14:22).

Pride has kept many people from accepting Jesus Christ as Savior. Admitting sin and acknowledging that in our own strength we can do nothing to inherit eternal life is a constant stumbling block for prideful people. We are not to boast about ourselves; if we want to boast, then we are to proclaim the glories of God. What we say about ourselves means nothing in God’s work. It is what God says about us that makes the difference (2 Corinthians 10:18).

Why is pride so sinful? Pride is giving ourselves the credit for something that God has accomplished. Pride is taking the glory that belongs to God alone and keeping it for ourselves. Pride is essentially self-worship. Anything we accomplish in this world would not have been possible were it not for God enabling and sustaining us. “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). That is why we give God the glory—He alone deserves it.

This is the first blog from a series I am writing "Lessons from Titanic." 

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