Facts About Pride and Humility You Didn't Know

                                                   

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                                 Anchor Scripture:

        Isaiah 14:11-15

"God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." James 4:6c

INTRODUCTION

We have often heard people say, “That boy is proud”, what actually is pride? Pride is a feeling of satisfaction and pleasure in what you have done, or of a quality that you have, or in what someone who is connected to you has done. It is a feeling that you are better than other people. It is a feeling that you like and respect yourself and that you deserve to be respected by other people. Pride is a jaundiced view of yourself, it is an absolute reliance and total dependence on yourself without trust in God. Pride is a feeling that you don’t need God, that you can do it by yourself. Pride is arrogating glory to yourself in the place of God.

WHAT IS HUMILITY?

Humility is the quality of not being proud about yourself or what you have. It is having a low opinion of oneself and regarding others as better than you are. Humility does not mean weakness. It means putting your strengths under God’s control. Humility is a mentality that your positions, possessions and popularity in this world is vanity upon vanity and that only God matters (Phil 2:5-10). It is important to understand that humility is health to the heart while pride is a sickness of the heart.

HOW DOES PRIDE SHOW ITSELF?

2 Kings 20:12-17, 1 Samuel 13:8-12, Luke 18:10-11, 1 Cor 8:1, Isaiah 3:16

In the case of King Saul, his pride showed up in four ways namely:

(A) Impatience

(B)  I know it all attitude

(C)  I can do it better than you attitude

(D) Partial Obedience

In the case of Luke 18:10-11, Pride shows up in

(A) I am always right attitude

(B)  I am above mistake attitude etc.

When you are unteacheable simply because you think you know too much, it shows that pride is in you. Isaiah 3:16 shows that sometimes pride can be exhibited through the way we walk, how we look and how we keep our legs etc.

HOW DOES GOD SEE PRIDE IN THE FOLLOWING VERSES?

Proverbs 6:16-17, Proverbs 16:5, Proverbs 21:4, Mark 7:21-22, Matthew 6:1, 1 Samuel 2:3, 2 Samuel 22:28

God sees pride as abomination, as sin, as evil and defilement. God weighs our actions and judges the proud. Pride took Lucifer out from heaven, it can take you out of your matrimonial home, out of your office, business and relationships. Pride can take you to hell fire. Watch it!

HOW DOES GOD SEE HUMILITY IN THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURES?

Proverbs 15:33, Prov 18:12, Prov 22:4, Mic 6:8, Eph 4:2, Col 3:12, 1 Peter 5:5-6

God loves humility. He recognizes humility and rewards it.

MENTION THE REWARD FOR HUMILITY OR PRIDE AS YOU CAN IDENTIFY FROM THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURES:

Proverbs 13:10, Prov 11:2, Prov 16:18-19, Prov 29:23, Isaiah 2:11, Isaiah 13:11, Jer 49:16, Obed 1:3-4

Humility has numerous rewards both in this life and in that which is to come. Some of the rewards for humility are:

(A) Humility brings wisdom

Wisdom is not a function of age. One can be very old and full of hoar hairs yet without wisdom. Wisdom is not necessarily found within the four walls of the university. There are many educated people who lack wisdom. One of the rewards of humility is that it brings wisdom. The more humble you are, the wiser you will become. A fool is always proud and arrogant.

(B)  Humility preserves one from destruction

Pride goes before destruction. But humility brings preservation from destruction. The more humble you are, the safer you become. 

(C)  It brings honor

Honor is not just the prerogative right of a son, honor is for the humble son. An arrogant son will be treated like a servant or slave. Only the humble son can be honored by the father. To enjoy honor from God, humility is the key.

(D) It brings promotion or elevation

It is not time or chance that determines the promotion or elevation of men in destiny. It is their humility. The more humble you are, the faster you will rise in destiny. The proud and stubborn people may get stuck in the mud of life for eternity. If you need promotion in your spiritual life, business and finance, then remain humble.

(E)  It brings favor from God and men

Favor is not partial. It always has a reason. Anywhere you see humility, you will see favor accompanying it. Pride makes God's favor to be far from a man. If you are not enjoying favor from God, check very well if you are not a proud and arrogant person. Sometimes, pride does not show on the face. It is in the heart. Pride leads to destruction of life and properties. It brings shame. It leads to humiliation and demotion. It makes one an enemy of God.

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Reference Scripture: Matt 20:25-28

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil 2:5-10

The best standard for measuring real humility is not any mortal man or woman but our Lord Jesus Christ. Men and women may display humility in other to deceive others for their own benefits. To know what humility is we must learn it from the right source- Jesus Christ. This lesson will examine this fact in various dimensions.

(1)  Examine Christ’s example of humility in Phil 2;3-8, Matt 11:29, Luke 23:34, 2 Cor 10:1, Isaiah 53:2-7, John 18:19

Christ’s pattern of humility could be seen in various ways: He was God, yet He gave up His rights and made no name for Himself; rejecting every kind of worldly recognition, titles, and popularity. He took the simple position and nature of a servant and was obedient till death. Christ’s kind of humility was that of meekness and softness of heart. Christ was a perfect example of simplicity and gentleness. He was oppressed yet He did not fight back, He was accused falsely yet He remained silent. How is your own life? Do you always claim your rights? Are you so easily carried away by fame, honor, and titles? Do you fight back when you are oppressed? Can you keep quiet when your enemies level false accusations against you? Measure your humility by answering these questions for yourself.

(2) What was the result of Christ's humility? Phil 2:9-11, Luke 1:52

Exaltation, power, and glory from God.

(3)  Explain what makes the following men humble or proud in the following scriptures:

Moses in Numbers 12:3 and David in 2 Sam 16:5-12

Moses was very meek as we can see from Num 12:1-10. When he was insulted, he didn’t defend himself. He held his peace and God had to come down to defend him. When we are humble, we shall not lack God’s defense and support. The same thing applies to David. The voice of humility says, “My battle belongs to God”.

(4)   Explain the aspects of humility mentioned in the following scriptures:

Phil 2:3-10, Rom 12:10

(5)   Use Matt 20:25-28 to assess Ministers of God today.

Do you think they will pass the test? Many so-called Ministers of the gospel will surely fail the test because they are not willing to forsake all and follow Jesus Christ. They love the things of this world. We must first die to sin, self, and pride before we can become good followers of Christ. And it takes humility to truly die to self. Only the humble can actually

How does pride show itself in our churches today? Mention them and make corrections.

  CONCLUSION

Humility has many benefits in this life and thereafter. Let us humble ourselves so that God can exalt us in due season. Remember, humiliation can occur as a result of absence of humility. Don’t let the devil or the situations of life to humiliate you because of pride. Let humility be your watch-word. I see your promotion coming as you begin to serve God in humility in Jesus name, Amen.

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