No Room for Pride and God

In the book of Proverbs, we are given a serious admonition:

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 (NIV)

The word fall in this verse is not just about getting tripped up, but rather a downward spiral of sin that could eventually destroy us.  

A proud person is the captain of their soul. They believe that they are in charge and know better than anyone else, including God. The slippery slope of pride often starts at this point, when we think we know better than God. We strike out on our independent, willful journey only to find out that our pride and lack of teachability is leading us to ruin. A proud person often sits in judgment of others, even those attempting to step out and obey God.

The remedy for pride comes with a strong warning:

God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. James 4:6  

Humility is the antidote, the opposite of pride. Humility is focused outward, asking the question: what do others want? Humility ushers in God’s grace, in contrast to the destruction that follows pride.

I love Jesus’ words to His disciples in Mark 10 in response to their quarrel about who would get to sit beside Jesus in heaven. This sounds like a grade school argument, right? “Me first, me first!” Here’s His response:

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42-45

Jesus is saying we are not to imitate the world—vying for power, dominance and a special seat. Instead, we are to be like Him, a servant. He is the King of Kings, and yet He came to serve and to give up His very life to free others. That’s humility! We lay aside our rights and privileges, and consider the needs of others.  

We can’t follow God and be like Jesus if we are not willing to lay aside our pride. Salvation itself requires humility. Recognizing our need, repenting, and turning from our sin and brokenness is an act of humility. Humbly responding to the free gift of salvation will lead us to a life of service—and blessing. So, let’s get over ourselves and embrace humility... because that’s courageous living.

Lord, I reject the lure of pride and the way of destruction. Instead, give me a humble heart to follow Your example and receive Your grace.