Pride vs. Humility

(Prov 11:2 NIrV) When pride comes, shame follows. But wisdom comes to those who are not proud.

This morning we continue our series, In this verse Solomon contrasts those who are prideful with those who are humble. Actually, the Bible has a great deal to say about pride. The Lord is firmly against pride. Webster says that pride is: inordinate self-esteem; possessing an excessively high opinion of one's own dignity, importance, or superiority.

While I often say that it is a sad commentary for a Christian to have low self-esteem, it is also not God’s will that we have an inflated opinion of ourselves either. There is a thin line between confidence and arrogance and even the best of us cross that line from time to time.

Being humble doesn’t mean that you lack confidence. I like to say that humility is controlled confidence; it is confidence pointed in the right direction. When you walk with God you should be completely confident in what He can do and in what He has blessed you to do. Your relationship with the Father can enable you to be bold and humble at the same time. This way you avoid pride, because pride focuses its confidence in self, while humility focuses its confidence in God and the abilities that He has blessed us to possess.

Pride is a weapon of our enemy. As a matter of fact, it is one of his three major weapons. Satan’s “Big Three” are: 1) the lust of the flesh, 2) the lust of the eyes, and 3) the pride of life (1st John 2:16). The enemy uses these three primary tactics over and over again. And that sad part is that they work on believers over and over again.

We must be wary of all three, but for this morning we will continue to focus on pride. Later in Proverbs Solomon said, “Pride goes before destruction… ” (16:18). When you get puffed up, when you have an excessively high opinion of yourself, when you put yourself on the throne of your life, instead of God, then it will only be a matter of time before you fall.

This is what happened to satan. He operated in pride and it got him kicked out of heaven. Isaiah talks about it in the 14th chapter of his book: “Satan said, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High" (14:13,14).

What do you see in those two verses? Satan had an excessively high opinion of himself and it got him in trouble.

Our text tells us that wisdom comes to those who are not proud. Another translation says, “Wisdom is with the humble.” It’s wise – especially as a believer – to walk in humility. Jesus said, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Mat 23:12).

So which would you rather have? Would you like to exalt yourself, so that God would have to humble you? Or would you rather humble yourself and allow God to exalt you?

So what does this mean to you? It means that you have a choice. You can either humble yourself or you can be humbled. Believe me, humbling yourself is much better. I will close with the words of Peter. He said, “Humble yours elves, then, under God's mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time” (1st Peter 5:6).

Father, I thank You for Your Word. Your Word teaches me to avoid pride. I know that pride comes before destruction. Therefore, I declare, by faith, that I walk in humility today and all the days of my life. I resist the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. You don’t have to humble me. I humble myself under Your mighty hand and I know that You will life me up in Your timing. Use me today Father, as I seek to be a humble, committed, and submitted servant. In Jesus’ name. Amen.