Pride vs. Humility
Pride was Satan’s sin and is often at the root of most of humankind’s sins. As a Christian, we are to be crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20) which includes having a humbled heart. Let’s look at the attributes of pride and humility to learn how to approach having a humble heart.
PRIDE vs. HUMILITY
Brings dishonor (Prov. 11:2) Honors God and self
Is foolish (Prov. 28:26) Has Godly wisdom
Is careless (Prov. 14:16) Is cautious and turns from evil
Scoffs at others ((Prov. 21:24) Honors others
Is insolent (Prov. 21:24) Respectful
Hopeless (Prov. 28:26) Will be delivered
Six characteristics of a humble person
- Gratefulness/thankfulness
- Contentment
- Honoring of authority
- Proper understanding of God’s position and of own position
- Acknowledging sin and being quick to repent
- Being giving and compassionate – having a servant’s heart
The road to humility begins with the fear of the Lord and the beginning of wisdom – becoming a christian by understanding our own sin and inability to save ourselves and acknowledging the sacrifice that Jesus made by coming to earth, living a perfect life, dying on the cross, being resurrected to new life, and His position in heaven as God’s Son.
Then we must hear God. This must be our number one priority. We hear God by reading His word, praying, and being silent before Him. Next we must, get to know Him – again through His word, His people, and prayer. To hear and know God, we must line up our value system and priorities with His word. We must live a holy life, turning our backs on sin and reaching towards right living. To sum it up, a humble heart requires knowing our position in God’s kingdom (before and after salvation), hearing Him, and obeying. It sounds simple, but humbling ourselves is a life-time of learning, failing, and trying again.
