Humility over Pride

Everyone will flatter themselves and carry a kingdom within their breast.

John Calvin

If I were a betting man, I would bet this hits home for everyone, at least for me it most certainly does. Humility is one of those graces that enables us to recieve other graces from the Lord. But pride is built in the heart of man and fights hard to rear its ugly head at every chance.

We read exactly how God views pride and a heart that lacks humility in Proverbs 3:34 “He mocks the proud but shows favor to the humble and oppressed”.

Pride and arrogance led to the Fall and the casting out of Satan, and it ultimately found its way into the heart of our first federal head, Adam, and his wife Eve. And ever since that fall in the Garden, man has took pride in his rebellion, casting humility to the wind.

We desire humility from those we deal with but often we show none in return. And we seem to forget that the Condescension of the Holy God was an act of humility. Jesus Christ the Holy One, left His royal throne to take on flesh, and to save His people from their sin.

• Philippians 2:5-11 “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name”
• Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
• 2 Corinthians 8:9
  “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”

We find humility and pride all through scripture. And we see the benefits of the one and the warning of the other. Pride is always the very path that leads one into a deeper and deeper lifestyle of sin. We all have a conscience that presents good and evil as what they are, but pride tells us we know better, and our way is better.

• Psalms 16:18-19 “Pride goes before destruction,
  And a haughty spirit before stumbling. It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly
  Than to divide the spoil with the proud.”

Thankfully, through the mercy and kindness of God, we can be humble children or be made humble (which is different than being humble. Being made humble often occurs after a good whipping from God, breaking us and bringing us to Him for salvation, or back to Him after treading on the old path for a time which He delivered us from in the beginning).

Proverbs 22:4 tells us “Humility is the fear of the LORD; its wages are riches and honor and life.”

When we fear the Lord and become a humble people, we will in return treat His creation and His other image bearers with a humble heart. Being willing to serve rather than being served. Willing to help instead of taking. Willing to listen rather than always being critical. Willing to pray rather than turning a blind eye to the hardships of the people around us.

James 4:10 “humble yourself before the LORD and He will lift you up”

Dear God, when our tongue is quick to cut those around us, when our thoughts seem to place us above those around us, when we turn from You and turn to ourselves, humble our hearts. Let humility be a legacy of your people and help us place you and others before ourselves, always willing to help with no desire of earthly reward, no praise, no applause, and no boasting from our mouths. Amen.