Pride Divides, Listening Restores (Proverbs 13:10)
Listen Here:
Proverbs 13:10
By insolence comes nothing but strife,
but with those who take advice is wisdom.
The immediate message of this verse is as clear as the water in the gulf. Pride divides. Insolence produces strife. That truth is evident all over the pages of Scripture, beginning – in the beginning – in Genesis. Pride is what divided Lucifer from God, and then he entered the world and seduced Eve and Adam to act pridefully, which, in turn, separated (or divided) them from God.
Pride divides. Not only do we know that on the pages of Scripture, we know that in our own hearts. We all have done things that have clearly separated us from God, and we know it.
So how do we combat this? If we all had to think of a word to combat pride and say it on the count of three, I think a lot of us would say ‘humility.’ And if someone said Jesus, or God, yes and amen of course to them. But for the sake of illustration, pride and humility are normally pitted against each other.
The reason why I make that point clear is because it’s interesting how this verse ends. It’s setting up a contrast by saying ‘By insolence comes nothing but strife, BUT…’
But what? It’s gotta name-drop humility, certainly, right?
Not so fast. It says ‘but with those who take advice is wisdom.’
I think that is so interesting – contrasting the pride that divides with… listening to others?
I know that’s simple, but it’s profound to me! Why? Because we don’t listen! We. Do. Not. Listen. And when we do, we are like King Rehoboam in 1 Kings, who listened not to wise counsel, but to the counsel that suited his purposes.
But what battle-axe could better kill the giant of pride than godly counsel humbly received? Wisdom that combats pride. Wisdom that combats strife. It’s unifying. It’s relational.
What a unique way to fight the pride that divides, and I love that Solomon presents it to us in this way. In other places we see the clear pride/humility contrast, but here it’s almost as if Solomon is showing us humility rather than telling us about it. He’s saying we humble ourselves by listening to others.
Listening is humility in action.
So… who is offering wise counsel in your life – and are you actually listening?
Where has pride created distance – between you and God, or others?
What would it look like to humble yourself and listen to the Wonderful Counselor today?
There’s a picture of all this tucked inside a story many of us know and love: The Lion King. Scar, fueled by pride, refuses to listen. He believes he deserves the throne. He betrays his brother Mufasa, kills him, and seizes power – and with him, the Pride Lands fall into ruin. The sky darkens. The rivers dry up. Scar’s pride doesn’t just divide – it devours. It turns a kingdom into a desert.
But healing begins not when someone fights harder or does more, but when someone listens. Simba, in exile, hears the voice of Rafiki. He listens. He remembers who he is. And as he returns – no longer just a lion, but a son humbled and awakened – the land begins to be restored again.
That’s the power of humility. That’s the wisdom of listening. That’s the restoration Jesus invites us into. Pride divides – but listening to Jesus restores.
Let’s pray.
