Chapter Five - Encounter with Pride

Chapter 5 – Encounter with Pride 

In this chapter, Much-Afraid encounters her cousin, Pride, who is attempting to bring her back from pursuing her journey to the High Places.  He tempts her to leave by accusing the Shepherd of planning to abandon her and leaving her to lasting shame.  Her fear of shame begins to overwhelm her.  He also tells her that she is too ugly to be loved - so the journey to the Kingdom of Love is an absurd one.  Read through the following questions and consider how Pride speaks to you, and how you can silence him when he speaks.  

1.  Much-Afraid encountered her old enemy, Pride, in this chapter.  Her Fearing relatives had plotted to prevent her from continuing on her journey.  Of the relatives that she had, which ones would be and are most effective in keeping you from the journey?  (Some of these you haven’t been introduced to yet.)  Why?  

Pride –  Craven Fear -- Coward – Self-Pity – Resentment – Bitterness – Dismal Forebodings – Spiteful –                   Timid-Skulking – Gloomy –

 2.  How does Pride keep you from obedience?  What form does it take? 

“My sin is too great for the Lord to forgive,” or “I haven’t sinned that much, surely He will forgive me.” 

 “I want to be recognized,” or “I’m afraid to be recognized because I might do it wrong and be put to shame.”

 “I deserve better than this,” or “I don’t deserve better than what I'm receiving.”

3.  There is a statement in this chapter that, “For the first time, Much-Afraid of her own free will held out both of her hands to her two companions, and they grasped her strongly, but never before had their hold upon her been so of pain, so bitter with sorrow.”   Do you find, like I do, that grabbing hold of your difficult circumstances often has more pain, especially when we’ve been telling ourselves that “we don’t deserve it,” or that “God isn’t good,” or that “it’s not fair?”

4.  How do those three questions in #3 demonstrate our pride?