From Pride to Humility

The first step to true repentance is seeing pride for what it really is. The second step is to put on humility. … Just as pride is the root of every evil, humility is the root of every virtue.

From Pride to Humility, by Stuart Scott

One of the most meaningful books I have studied in the journey logged via this blog is Andrew Murray’s book on humility (my posts can be found on this page). This short booklet, by Stuart Scott, addresses the same subject, and it seems a subject worth revisiting.

It is probably safe to say that humility is the one character quality that will enable us to be all Christ wants us to be.

In order to come to God properly, to love God properly, to love and serve others properly, this virtue of humility is foundational. Without it, we cannot be led properly, nor can we lead properly. Without it, we cannot resolve conflict properly. Most certainly, we cannot deal with the sins of others properly without humility.

Pride

Proverbs 16: 5(a) Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord

This is our condition. The Bible uses terms like vainglory, conceit, boasting, arrogance, loftiness, presumption, haughtiness, scoffing, and self-seeking in order to give some depth and understanding to what is meant by the word pride.

We see pride in Satan, in Uzziah, in Nebuchadnezzar, in Belshazzar. The Pharisees are often pointed to by Jesus as examples of pride. Pride is seen in these and others as a focus on self, a pursuit of self-recognition and self-exaltation, a desire to control all things for self.

It does not necessarily mean that one filled with pride holds his head high at all times. Self-pity is a sign of pride – still a focus on the self. In other words, whether one’s pride leads to a head held high or a head held low, proud people believe life is all about them: self-centeredness.

The necessary first step is to come to this point: to recognize pride in us and the harm it causes in our relationship to God and others. But Scott suggests that this isn’t enough. Once we recognize pride in us, we dwell on the reality of it for a time. Old Testament Job offers an example of this dwelling on our realization of our pride.

Job 40: 3 Then Job answered the Lord and said: 4 “Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth. 5 Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”

Job came to the point of no longer contending with God, answering and defending. He was no longer proud. But this was not yet sufficient.

7 “Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me:

God’s questions continue for two chapters, leaving no room for Job to interrupt. God recounts many of His glories, overwhelming Job. From this, Job replies:

Job 42: 2 “I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4 Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ 5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. 6 Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.”

It was not enough to shut his mouth and listen. Job dwelled on his place relative to God, and recognizes that he uttered what he did not understand, he stated things which he did not know. At this point, the door for humility is opened.

Humility

If pride is the epidemic vice, then humility is the endangered virtue. Humility is so rare because it is unnatural to man.

Humility is a focus on God and on others, the exaltation of God, the desire to glorify Him in all things. There is no humility, no self-emptying, that can compare with the example Christ gave us. Yes, He washed the feet of the disciples. He also died on the cross for the salvation of His creation.

Jesus opens the Beatitudes – the guidance for us to be what we are meant to be in Christ – with three fundamental characteristics of humility: we are to poor in spirit, we are to mourn, we are to be meek. Be these, and you cannot help but be humble. But none of this is possible without God, His grace, His mercy.

James 4: 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Submit to God. What does it mean to submit? I understand it as recognizing who He is and doing what He commands.

…without humility we cannot be the exemplary Christian God has called us to be. … Pride lies behind every sin and especially behind strife and contention.

The battle never ends. It isn’t as if we move from pride to humility and, therefore, we capture this new state. We battle pride daily.

How to Get from Here to There

Understand the cross, what it meant for Jesus, the Son of God, to place Himself on it; pray for God to search your heart; look to Jesus as the example of humility; spend time in worship. Put off pride and put on humility: in thoughts and motives, in communication, in deeds.

Conclusion

Christian, God will deal with your pride if you will not.

I heard someone say once – quoting, he believed, a Church Father (though he couldn’t remember who, and maybe it wasn’t…): God is not done with you until He breaks every bone in your body.

A loving God, One who wishes that we become what we are meant to be, does this.