Pride is a sin — one of the biggest, in fact – holding us back from experiencing God’s best, and showing His love to others. But we have almost no hope of overcoming it unless we first recognize it for the problem it is.
Jesus taught “blessed are the poor in spirit” and “blessed are the meek.” He told us plainly that “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 5:3, 5; 23:12)
Through His own example — including the unforgettable moment when He washed His disciples’ feet — He showed us what real humility looks like. (John 13:1–17) And through His teachings, He exposed the kind of pride that God hates. If we truly listen to Jesus, the difference isn’t hard to see.
The problem, of course, is that all of us struggle with pride. The real question isn’t whether pride exists in us, but how much we allow it to influence our thoughts, attitudes, and decisions.
Even in Scripture, the consequences of pride show up again and again. Solomon warned that “pride comes before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)
God even gave His people seemingly illogical instructions at times… specifically to remove any opportunity for them to boast. (Judges 7:2)
We see God lift up people when they were “little in their own eyes,” and bring them low when they began inhaling their own self-importance. (1 Samuel 15:17–18)
So what can we do to keep this destructive force from taking root in our own lives?
I don’t pretend to have simple or complete answers. But awareness is an important beginning — simply admitting that pride is something every one of us faces. That honesty alone helps keep us humble.
From there, we can take practical steps to challenge our pride and cultivate humility:
- serving others,
- choosing the “lowest seat”,
- esteeming others better than ourselves,
- and remembering the many blunders and failures we’ve made (including the ones nobody else knows about).
These practices help keep our hearts grounded, and protect us from the subtle ways pride creeps in.
But beyond all of that, what if we simply asked God for help?
What if we asked Him daily to free us from pride, and to shape us into the humble, childlike servants He calls us to be?
We will stumble. We’ll all have proud moments. But if we continually cry out to Him for strength, won’t we make far more progress than if we (ironically!) assume we can handle it all on our own?
It’s worth thinking about.
Reclaiming The Way 