Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18 KJV
God honors those who humble themselves before him.
James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
When you display humility toward God, you recognize Him for who He really is: the Almighty Creator of the universe. But you also recognize yourself for what you really are: weak and helpless before Almighty God. Therefore, when you humble yourself before God, you allow Him to lift you up, and He can elevate you more effectively than you could yourself.
Proverbs 22:4 says, “By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.”
Most people think that personal pride helps them to succeed in life, but God says that true success comes through humility and the fear of the Lord. So if you humble yourself before the Lord, He will bless you with riches, honor, and life; and He will lift you up.
People cherish their pride. Rich people believe that their pride brought them to this place of prosperity and wealth while poor people think that’s all they have to hold onto. “We may not be wealthy, but at least we have our pride.”
Proverbs 29:23 says, “A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.” Whether you are rich or poor (or somewhere in between) pride only brings you down.
What exactly is pride? Pride is elevating yourself above others. A lot of people even exalt themselves above Jesus, our Savior and Creator.
Yet Romans 12:3 says, “For I say…to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think…”
Why not? What does it hurt to think highly of myself? That’s pride.
- Pride got Satan kicked out of Heaven. Isaiah 14:12-13 says, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer…For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God…”
- Pride is sin. Proverbs 21:4 says, “An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.”
- Pride brings shame. Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.”
- Pride causes contention. Proverbs 13:10 says, “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.”
- Pride keeps us in a sinful state, preventing mankind from trusting Christ as Savior. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
- Pride sends people to hell. Revelation 20:15 says, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
- Pride precedes destruction. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”
The opposite of pride is humility. Few people today teach on the importance of humility because they have the mistaken idea that humility is synonymous with “doormat,” or letting others trample you – emotionally and spiritually. That’s the doctrine of the devil, the father of lies.
Look again at the result of pride:
- It is sin.
- It causes contention and shame.
- It brings destruction, thereby keeping people in a sinful state and sending them to hell.
- And its originator got kicked out of Heaven because of it.
Does that sound like a good and healthy philosophy that will benefit mankind? No! And yet society is sold on the importance of self esteem and personal pride. It’s taking our nation straight to hell.
God’s word talks about the humble while the devil roams the earth seeking whom he may devour through their pride. And he has lots of volunteers chomping at the bit. God, on the other hand, lifts up the humble.
Jesus said in Matthew 18:4, “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”