🌈 Redeeming Pride

“But he gives more grace. Therefore, it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’”

— James 4:6 

 

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind…and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

— Matthew 22:37, 39

 

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

— Romans 8:1

For centuries, Christians have been taught that pride is one of the Seven Deadly Sins—a dangerous self-exaltation that places one’s ego above God. And rightly so, this kind of pride—the pride that leads to arrogance, domination, and the denial of God’s grace—is spiritually harmful.

So, what does this mean for LGBTQ+ Pride? Are we sinning by celebrating who we are? Let us be clear: LGBTQ+ Pride is not the sin of pride. It is not self-worship. It is not superiority. It is not about denying God—it’s about denying shame.

For many of us, the world has tried to crush our spirits, silence our truths, and teach us to hate ourselves. We were told that being gay, bi, trans, or queer was incompatible with faith, with love, with dignity. And yet here we are—alive, thriving, and still clinging to hope. That is what Pride Month celebrates: not arrogance, but survival; not superiority, but belovedness; not sin, but sacredness.

The “pride” warned against in Scripture is not about loving yourself as God made you. It’s about refusing to love God or others. It’s about placing your ego above compassion. It’s about being closed off to grace. But the pride we celebrate in June is the healing of what was broken. It is the restoration of image-bearing dignity. It is standing up and saying, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).

Jesus taught us the greatest commandments: to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. That last part—loving ourselves—is often forgotten, yet it is essential. We cannot extend love if we believe we are unworthy of it. Pride, for the LGBTQ+ Christian, is not sinful—it is sacred defiance against shame, and a return to the truth that we are loved just as we are.

God reminds us that His grace is not reserved for the perfect, but for the honest and the hurting. He helps us discern the difference between selfish pride and holy confidence. Let our celebration of Pride be a witness to God’s inclusive love, to the beauty of diversity in His creation, and to the freedom found in Christ. We should Remain humble, yes—but also whole.

God doesn’t call us to be ashamed of who we are. God calls us to walk humbly, love deeply, and live truthfully. As LGBTQ+ Christians, we can hold our heads high—not in arrogance, but in gratitude for the grace that sustains us. This Pride Month, reject the shame others tried to place on you. Celebrate who God made you to be. That kind of pride—the kind that honors truth, healing, and love—is not sin. It is resurrection.

We are not condemned. We are cherished.

🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️