One of man’s greatest enemies is pride. Where there is pride there is no room for God.  The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts. (Psalm 10:4) In the bible there are many examples that demonstrate the downfall of man when they exalted themselves. Satan’s downfall is a beautiful example of this. Read Isaiah 14:9-15.

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One of the notable examples in the Old Testament is that of Uzziah, the King of Judah who sought to seek the Lord under the mentorship of Zechariah. But as fame and strength increased he grew proud and that eventually led to his destruction. “But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense…….” (2 Chronicles 26:16-21 )

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Another such example is King Nebuchadnezzar. As Babylon continued to grow in prosperity, one day the King was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, and he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”  Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. (Daniel 4:29-31).

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1 John 2:16 says “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world”. In today’s world, people have easier access to money, power and fame; which increases the opportunity for pride to come into their life. Proverbs 16:18-19 tells us that “pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” This is the opposite of what God expects of us. He is pleased when we have the spirit of humility. For it says in Mathew 5:5, ‘Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.’

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One of the greatest examples of humility is Jesus Christ. He came down from Heaven, took the form of man and this act in itself demonstrates humility. Throughout His life on earth Jesus demonstrated a life of obedience to His heavenly Father and humility. He being God Himself chose to remain obedient even unto the death on the cross. In Matthew 20:26-28 Jesus says “…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”. On His last night with the disciples He washed their feet and set an example of servanthood. (John 13:12-17)

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Humility characterizes true Christianity and for that to happen we need to shift our focus onto Jesus. We need to make a constant effort to change our attitudes and principles into Christ like. When we start to build our relationship with God, a transformation happens within and when this happens humility takes over thereby leaving pride powerless! So, let our hearts be fixed onto Jesus rather than things of the world that we may lead a Christ filled life in every walk! As it says in Colossians 3:2, “set your minds on things above, not on earthly things”.

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Prayer: Change my heart O Lord, take away every form of pride, teach me your ways and fill me with the spirit of humility. In Jesus name, Amen