“A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.” Proverbs 29:23

In a world that promotes autonomy, independence and self-assuredness, humility is not considered to be an asset.  In the secular realm, it may be a matter of poor self-esteem.  However, in the Christian domain, it is recognition of who we are before God and a willingness to sacrifice what we have been given to serve our Lord as well as our fellow man. People who are truly humble are usually readily identifiable and we are drawn to them.  They are warm and care about others.  It is a contrast to those who are proud and often self-absorbed.

God’s Position

Proverbs 29:23 is one of those passages clearly presents our Heavenly Father’s opinion on the matter pride and humility; there is no ambiguity about it.  Isaiah 2:12 goes even farther when God states:  “For the Lord of hosts will have a day of reckoning against everyone who is proud and lofty and against everyone who is lifted up, that he may be abased.”  Certainly this was true for Pharaoh whose kingdom was devastated in many ways because of His pride (Exodus 5:2 and following), Nebuchadnezzar who suffered seven years of insanity “until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes” (Daniel 4 and 5:18-21), as well as Belshazzar his son who was slain for his arrogance (Daniel 5:22-30).  Whether considering individuals or nations, there are many examples of God abasing the proud throughout scripture.

The Basis

Isaiah 2:17 states:  “The pride of man will be humbled and the loftiness of men will be abased; and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.”  The last part of this passage alludes to the bigger issue…at the end of the matter, pride elevates man above God, refuses to acknowledge His authority and attempts to steal His glory.  That was certainly the case in the examples above.  Pharaoh said “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord.”; Nebuchadnezzar stated “Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?”;  while Belshazzar was so arrogant that despite witnessing his father’s experience,  exalted himself against the Lord of heaven and used the golden vessels removed from the temple to drink wine with his nobles.  God opposes the proud because they fail to recognize His authority and provision as well as attempting to steal His glory.

The Impact

In addition to the promised abasement, pride causes other impairments; specifically it:

• Causes one to forget God (Hosea 13:6)
• Cuts us off from other people (Leviticus 23:29)
• Multiplies guilt (2 Chronicles 33:23)
• Brings dishonor (Proverbs 11:2)
• Makes one an abomination to the Lord and brings about punishment (Proverbs 16:5)

Put another way, pride impedes a relationship with God, inhibits relationships with others, multiplies guilt, and brings dishonor and insures judgement.

The Application

Pride, like any other sin, has a sliding scale.  It may be blatant disregard as in the case of Belshazzar, it may be a pattern that needs to be broken as in the case of Nebuchadnezzar or it may be in inadvertent lapse.  God may use the minor inconveniences of life to extinguish our pride or in extreme cases, He may use a major trial to get our attention and modify our behavior; in either case, it is a loving act to correct us and encourage our sanctification.  Our job is first give God honor and glory in all circumstances acknowledging His provision and sustaining grace.  Our second act is to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any pride that remains, repent and seek His help in dealing with it.  We will be better for it.

Humble yourself in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

Will