Answers

Q:

I've always been successful in life, and until recently I guess I was fairly proud of my accomplishments. But recently I gave my life to Jesus, and I know I ought to be more humble. But how can I achieve this?


A:

The first step is to realize just how dangerous and sinful pride is. Not only does it cut us off from other people (because no one likes an arrogant, proud person) but it also cuts us off from God (because we think we don’t need Him). No wonder the Bible says that “The Lord detests all the proud of heart” (Proverbs 16:5).

But if you have truly come to Christ, you’ve already taken this first step—because you can’t come to Him without humbly admitting you need Him. For years (I suspect) your pride got in the way, and you thought you didn’t need God. But the time came when you realized you did need Him, and you opened your heart to Christ. And when you did, He came into your heart, and He made you part of His family forever. The Bible says, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

The real key to humility is to compare ourselves with God, and not with other people. As long as you compare yourself with others, you’ll always have a problem with pride, because you’ll always find someone who is worse off than you are. But when you compare yourself with God, pride will flee.

The Bible says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up” (1 Peter 5:6). Thank God every day for saving you, and keep your eyes on Christ.