Introduction

The foundation of all human sins is pride. In the Bible, it is written: «The beginning of pride is when one departs from the Lord, and his heart departs from his Maker; for the beginning of sin is pride...»

Pride, or separation from God, is the root of all other sins of mankind. In translation from ancient Greek, «sin» means «miss». In other words, sin is a misguided direction, the loss of the inclination towards God, the worship of secondary values, and an incorrect system of priorities.

Pride can take on many forms. We are accustomed to thinking that the main sign of pride is a sense of superiority. But self-deprecation is also a sin of pride. And an inability to think dialectically is also a sign of pride. To overcome the sin of pride, a person must become a monotheist, which means learning to unite opposites. This is only possible when there is a lot of love in the soul.

For a proud person, life is divided into black and white, good and evil. They live in extremes, periodically transitioning from one to another. Such a person sees enemies everywhere and perceives the imperfections of the world. They are internally aggressive towards the world, constantly trying to suppress it and subjugate it. This incorrect attitude towards the world is a result of prioritizing one's own personality and life.

Often, a person who externally observes all commandments and laws sincerely believes that they are behaving correctly, but in reality, they are taking a step towards sin because they observe everything without love in their soul, without an inner need for unity with the Highest. Pride begins with the loss of love, the disappearance of the need for God, the need for love, the desire to prioritize one's own «self» and make it unchangeable.

There are thousands of books written on how to overcome sins. Typically, these books recommend asceticism, prayer, and a constant sense of one's own sinfulness to overcome pride through detachment from this world.

When a person renounces life and withdraws into complete asceticism, their attachment to the world diminishes, and their soul becomes lighter. This involves a rejection of the earthly path. However, the fact is that a person is not an angel; they must live and contribute to the continuation of life. If everyone were to follow the path of asceticism, humanity would simply disappear from the face of the Earth.

The question arises: how can a person who leads an ordinary life overcome pride? The answer to this question can be found in the Bible.

The Bible contains the laws of the Universe. It indirectly describes several stages of human sinfulness.

The first stage of sin is the angel's deception, which became the devil. The second stage is the sin of Adam and Eve, and the third is the sin of Cain. To overcome pride, one must systematically overcome all three stages of sin.

Cain's sin is murder, a crime. To avoid committing crimes, one must learn to restrain their animal desires and observe the commandments that state: «You shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not commit adultery...» Righteous behavior is an important step in overcoming pride.

The basis of wrongful behavior, the basis of crime, lies in sin at the level of feelings. Crime initially occurs at the level of feelings; behavior is preceded by emotions. Murder is a consequence of envy, greed, and materialism, prioritizing material over spiritual and emotional aspects. To avoid committing crimes, a person must overcome their imperfect, sinful feelings and negative character traits.

The essence of Adam and Eve's sin is the worship of instincts, the worship of life itself. Instincts are the basis of life; they are necessary for self-preservation and the continuation of life. But when life becomes an end in itself, the highest good, and the ultimate happiness, then a person forgets about love, about God, and degradation begins. To overcome the sin of Adam and Eve, a higher moral level is required; a person must behave correctly not only in their actions but also in their feelings.

The nine beatitudes of Jesus Christ speak of what a person should be like in order not to sin. A person must live with their soul, not their consciousness because love resides in the soul. Love should be more important than justice and righteousness, not to mention money, wealth, and well-being.

One needs to change their character, be compassionate and sincere, know how to communicate with people, be able to make sacrifices, control their desires, and strive for development, all while maintaining love in their soul.

The sin of the devil is pride. The essence of this sin is that for a person, their mind, abilities, and control over the world become more important than love for God and the acceptance of His will. Devilishness is the inner conviction of a person that their own «self», their own selfish desires, are the most important in life. Such a person places themselves first and God second.

In the Gospel scene of the temptation in the wilderness, Jesus Christ shows us that there is a real possibility to overcome pride at its root. When the devil offers Jesus power over all the kingdoms of the world, «if you will bow down and worship me», it is the most significant temptation. Jesus responds to the devil that only God should be worshipped and served.

To avoid making a mistake and choose the right path – the path to God, the path of development – one must understand that the Supreme Being is the source of life, and worship should be directed solely towards Him. We must realize that we are a part of the Supreme Being and are one with Him at the highest level.

One must strive for love daily and feel that the Creator is the cause of everything that exists, the source of all our blessings, and the meaning of our life is to know Him, unite with Him, which is the greatest happiness for a person.

It is necessary not only to improve one's feelings and behavior but also to undergo a deep transformation of one's personality. Changing one's behavior and feelings is a challenging, painful, and lengthy process. To the extent that a person is willing to change, to develop, to care for their soul every day, and to prioritize love and morality over their own significance, their own life, and well-being, they will overcome the sin of pride.

There are no specific instructions or methods that guarantee successful overcoming of pride. There is only one recipe – to constantly strive towards God, towards love, and to improve one's character.