Humility is the opposite of self-centred pride. If you are humble, you consider yourself the servant of others. You do not feel or act superior to others and you are not a respecter of persons.

The Lord promotes whom He will. He puts down one person and raises another. If you are promoted, you should not proudly boast (Psalm 75:5-7). Jesus said that the one who would be first should be the servant of all, for “the last shall be first, and the first last” (Matthew 20:16).
 

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up” (James 4:10).

“For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many”(Mark 10:45).

“Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility” (Proverbs 18:12).

“A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men”(Proverbs 18:16).

“A man who has friends must show himself friendly but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).
 

Self-centred pride is the first product of our natural sin of self. Every problem we have can be traced to it. Eve was prideful when she yielded to the temptation to satisfy her craving for the knowledge of good and evil.

You may be on a "head trip" and not realize it. If you are proud, your behaviour will reflect it. Do you talk "down" or "up" to people rather than "to" them? Do you always want to have your own way in the affairs of your life? Do you seek to be blessed by others rather than seek to bless them? If so, you need to learn humility, otherwise your relationships with God and with others will suffer.

We are often taught to be "proud." For example, slogans which are designed to promote "esprit de corps" enhance pride. Such pride seems to be a good thing. However, there is a distinction between having a healthy self-esteem and delight in one's accomplishments versus having a conceited attitude and feelings of superiority over others.

Being proud of our children, neatness, cleanliness, and other positive attributes or characteristics are considered healthy. It is also important for us to achieve our God-given potential. When we make good progress toward our vision or goals, we can be proud (pleased) of the accomplishments. However, it should not lead to a boastful attitude and constant comparison to others. On the contrary, God expects us to have humility and concern for others.

So how do you replace pride with humility? God has provided the answer to our inborn sin of pride. It is the fruit of the Spirit, which includes meekness. Humility is one aspect of meekness. Jesus said that the meek shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). To be free from the sin of self-centred pride, repent and call on the Lord for forgiveness. Ask Him to come into your life in all His fullness. Commit your life to Him. Ask Him to baptize you in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can replace your fleshly nature with the nature of God.

Renew your mind as you strive for humility. Allow the fruit of the Spirit (the nature of God) to be produced within you (Galatians 5:22,23). Become all that you can be in the Lord. For only when Christ reigns in your life, will you develop a right relationship with God and other people.
 

Seek the Lord as to how you should pray. Expect the Spirit to reveal areas of your life of which you need to repent. Rejoice in God's forgiveness of sin.

Pray for the fruit of the Spirit. Rejoice in the sure knowledge that God will give you this desire of your heart.
 

Other helpful ministry brochures are available upon request or via these links: SALVATION, HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM, FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT, PRIDE, and THE FULL COUNSEL OF GOD.

You may contact the Crossroads Ministry Centre or write to:  The Crossroads Centre, P.O. Box 5100, Burlington, Ontario,  L7R 4M2.

Crossroads is happy to help. In fact, that's the whole reason we exist as a ministry. The daily 100 Huntley Street telecast and the 24-hour-a-day telephone ministry lines are there for the same reason. You may want to call us as you are reading this.

God loves you and we love you! Please give us the privilege of doing our best to help more.