Acquiring Humility

Acquiring Humility by Dr. D. James Kennedy
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time . . .” 1 Peter 5:6

Pride, says the Bible, goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Pride lays at the root of Adam and Eve’s downfall and thus of our own. It threatens our families, our friendships, even our salvation. Pride has become entrenched in our human nature; we think we can make it through life on our own power.

Yet everything we have comes from God. Ask yourself the question Paul asked the Corinthian Christians: What do you have that you did not receive? God is the source of everything. Thus, none of us has reason to be proud.

So how can we acquire humility? We begin by putting ourselves into proper perspective, seeing ourselves in relationship to God. When we look to God, we grasp our unworthiness. Yet humility doesn’t come from abasing ourselves. It comes from glorifying God, seeing Him as the source of all we are and all we have. In His love, God accepts us unconditionally and lifts us to higher ground. He shows us that we are His children, made in His image, adopted into His family as sons and daughters of a glorious and victorious King.

Another antidote to pride is gratitude. Whenever we accomplish anything in life, we can choose to be proud or grateful. As we realize that we accomplish nothing without God, we must choose gratitude, giving the glory to Him for all He does for us.

We can’t have prideful hearts and maintain a right relationship with God. God doesn’t need our accomplishments, nor is He interested in our vainglory. He wants us. Christ wants us to cultivate humble hearts that bow before His grace and His cross—the ultimate example of humility.

Today view yourself in relationship with God and thank Him for all He has accomplished in your life. Lay your achievements at His feet, blessing Him for His goodness to you.

“Through pride, the devil became the devil.” C. S. Lewis