Coach Hounsel is one of my favorite people. He accepted me as a rookie teacher and mentored me as his assistant football coach. He let me call all the defensive plays, although he did overrule my fondness for blitzing every down—calling blitzes was way too much fun. His drawl let you know long before his boots that he was from south Texas. “Men,” he said to our football team in a raised voice, “There is no ‘I’ in the word team!” The writer of the Proverbs said it a little differently but made the same point. 

Proverbs 8:13

The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. 

While there is no “I” in the word “team,” it stands tall right in the middle of “pride.” It is an inward focus. It is irritated and agitated. It must have its way and pouts, a childish pout, when it doesn’t get its way. It is the polar opposite of fearing the Lord. 

Fearing the Lord is not living in terror and dread of him. That’s what Martin Luther called servile fear—a prisoner waiting to be tortured or executed. Rather, fearing God is a filial fear (filial in Latin means family). This fear is love, awe, and respect for the One who provides us with security and fills us with significance. He is the One we can embrace as we cry out, “Abba, Father.” And when we embrace him, we cease to embrace ourselves. 

Today let me paraphrase a prayer against pride from the Valley of Vision—a collection of old Puritan prayers. 

Heavenly Father, please don’t let pride swell my heart . . . Help me to see myself in your sight and then let pride wither, decay, die, perish . . .. When I am tempted to think highly of myself, grant me to see the scheming power of my spiritual enemy . . . [and help me] cling with determined grasp to my humble Lord. If I fall let me hide myself in my Redeemer’s righteousness, and when [you deliver me] may I attribute all deliverance to your grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.