Hubris is a noun that means an extreme or excessive amount of pride, arrogance, or overconfidence that can lead to failure or ruin. The word comes from ancient Greek mythology, where it referred to the act of defying the gods. In Greek mythology, hubris was considered a fatal flaw that often resulted in the downfall of a hero.
From HHP “Broken To His Likeness.docx”
Consider the big picture: You understand the call God has placed on your life. You begin to move toward your destiny. As you do, God begins shaping you as you listen for and heed His voice. But now that you have committed yourself to God’s agenda, you are also vulnerable to it. Remember that His whole purpose is to conform you to the image of His Son. But I must tell you that once you sign on to God’s purpose, you will be broken.
Why? Every single one of us has something in us that cannot be healed. It has to be broken. Whatever this “something” in you is, you can’t be delivered from it, healed of it, or empowered to resist it. This something in us is what philosophers call the sin of hubris. Greeks understood hubris to be ambitious pride in one’s own goodness that scorns any higher divine moral order. You see, a man’s hubris isn’t an ambition for evil but for good. Hubris is unfailingly sincere and well intentioned. Hubris has all the outward marks of righteousness and goodness – and a heart of utter arrogance.
And that’s the terrible thing. Hubris is the deadliest kind of pride because it first appears to be goodness. In the act of trying so diligently to be and do good – to say, “I’m going to be like Jesus” – hubris becomes the ultimate lie.
It takes the life of Jesus to live the life of Jesus. We lie to ourselves and others when we strive for righteousness in our own strength when we are merely human. No matter how hard we try, or how much goodness or energy or skill we bring to the effort, we’ll never pull it off. But, oh, how we like to try.