Note: All scriptures are from the New King James Version of the Bible.
Last week, I told you all about the price of ungodly pride. So how do we counteract that great cost? The answer lies in our scripture from last week, Proverbs 18:12: “before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.” So, we can cancel out ungodly pride by humbling ourselves in the presence of God.
In order to understand humility, look at the story of King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:29-30:
“At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. The king spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?”
The pride which crept into King Nebuchadnezzar’s heart eventually blinded his eyes, and he robbed God of all the credit which belonged to Him alone. If you read on in the chapter, you will see that Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom was taken away for seven years. During that time he was driven out into the fields, where he was forced to live on grass like a wild animal. However, a few verses later the king describes how he learned his lesson from God:
“And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever.” (Daniel 4:34)
Even in a mad condition, it would seem that the king had plenty of time to examine himself. The Bible likens the godly life to a race that we must train for, and one way to stay on course is by examining our hearts in light of God’s word. According to 1 Corinthians 11:28, “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” While Paul is talking about communion, I think the principle of self-examination is one we need to reflect upon. Consider the thrift-store treadmill I talked about in last week’s devotion. What if we hadn’t examined the product we were about to buy? Without the key which started and stopped the treadmill, we would have ended up buying a pretty piece of junk!
Since we don’t ask God prayerfully to search our hearts, and because we don’t honestly look at them in the mirror of His word, we tend to stray easily. Prayerful examination brings us under the microscope of the Holy Spirit, which in turn brings us to the fear or reverence of God. An attitude of reverence will lead us to se that he is the most high and exalted above all things. If a person’s heart is pliable, repentance will be the outcome. If upon self-examination I find that there is pride in my life, and I agree with God that this is wrong, I will humble myself before Him, confess my sin, and ask for forgiveness.
Jesus told us about humility by painting a word picture in Luke 18:9-14.
Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Humility is a virtue that we can cling to only by abiding within the power of God and Jesus Christ. In order to abide in Christ, we must continually humble ourselves and make our home in Him, instead of constantly trying to gain worldly acceptance.
According to C.S. Lewis, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” But it doesn’t stop there, for as we think of ourselves less, we need to find ways to exalt God more. John the Baptist spoke about this when he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
There is a fine line between healthy and unhealthy pride, and only the word of God can help us to judge between the two. We all enjoy taking a healthy pride in our accomplishments, but we must also be humble and point them to the Lord. Give God first place in everything you do, counting your blessings, and learn to be a thankful person. Instead of boasting in your own achievements, look for ways to give God all the glory for your talents and abilities, for while the cost of being a disciple may seem high now, the benefits of having a humble and godly form of pride are eternal.
Thank you for reading this, and may the Lord give you a wonderful week! We are trying to reach people who are hurting, so if God lays it on your heart, please consider becoming a partner with us. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.mynvm.com and click on the PayPal button. You can also send donations by mail to HCMA (Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association). Our ID number is 560. The address is 101 S Kraemer BLVD, Suite 123A, Placentia, CA 92870.
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