Pride Destroys, Humility Builds

The Bible draws a clear distinction between pride and humility. While pride will tear down your relationships, humility builds them up and strengthens them.

But pride is self-deceiving. It can be hard for you to recognize it in yourself. Instead, try looking for the symptoms of pride, like criticism, competition, stubbornness, and superficiality. If you see some of those characteristics in yourself, you might have a problem with pride.

Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride leads to destruction; a proud attitude brings ruin” (NCV). I like how the Message paraphrases this verse: “First pride, then the crash—the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.”

Pride destroys relationships, but humility is the antidote to pride. Humility builds relationships. The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:8, “Live in harmony, be sympathetic, love each other, have compassion, and be humble” (GW). And Philippians 2:3 instructs, “Be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves” (NCV).

How can you grow in humility? By continually and consistently submitting your thoughts, heart, attitude, and choices to Jesus. You need to give him permission to make changes in your life. Ephesians 4:23-24 says, “Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person” (CEV).

How do you become a new person? How do you start to think in a different way? The basic law of relationships is this: You tend to become like the people you spend time with. If you spend time with grumpy people, you get grumpier. If you spend time with happy people, you get happier. So if you want to have more humility, spend time with Jesus Christ. Take time with him in prayer and reading his Word. He is humble, and as you get to know him, you’ll become more like him.

The Bible teaches, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. . . . When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God” (Philippians 2:5-8 NLT).

No one has lived with more humility than Jesus. He came to earth from heaven to become a man, live for us, give his life for us, and be resurrected for us. When you spend time with him, you become more humble, which in turn builds up your relationships for the better.