I must confess: I strive to be better than you.
I don’t just aim to “do my best”; I try to be better than you in every area of my life that I choose to develop. A part of me does not want to see you one-up me. I work my tail off every day to be better than everyone else. I find a sense of accomplishment in being competent and skilled at what I do. It’s my personality; I’m a go getter.
Not that my motives are always wrong, as by God’s grace only a part of me feels that way. But it’s there. And it’s never gone completely.
For us who are born again, God leaves enough of our flesh to keep us dependent on God while removing enough to make us sanctified for service. For me that means God leaves some pride in my heart to keep me on my knees before Him.
I pray about it because I need God’s intervention in my heart to counteract my natural inclination towards conceit. I desire His working in me daily to keep me humble.
It takes work to humble ourselves. We don’t just wake up one day free of pride. It is a continual practice we must be committed to as believers. Even if we don’t feel humble, we can always choose to humble ourselves through our actions, attitudes and speech.
Andrew Murray said:
"I am sure that there are many Christians who will confess that their experience has been very much like my own—that we had long known the Lord without realizing that meekness and lowliness of heart should be the distinguishing feature of the disciple, as they were of the Master. Such humility is not a thing that will come on its own. It must be made the object of special desire, prayer, faith and practice."
As Murray referenced, Jesus set the example of true humility:
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” -Philippians 2:3-7
Humility is quite possibly the most beautiful attitude that can be found in a believer’s life. To lay down our own sense of individual value and worthiness and trade it in for a sense of understanding our position before God is a desirable goal that we all should strive for.
Have we really done anything worthy of God’s grace in the first place? No! We are but sinners given a chance to be adopted as sons and daughters. We are given an inheritance although we deserve to be counted as slaves.
C.S. Lewis said:
"Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less."
I am a confident person, so I don’t think I could think less of my abilities if I tried. Not that I always think I’m good; I often see my flaws more than anything. But self-assessment isn’t the problem. We simply need to try to think more about God and others than we do about how we are perceived.
One thing I’ve found helpful for fighting pride is learning to appreciate other people and what they bring to the table. I have been humbled continually by people who have poured into my life and encouraged me. I have seen what God has done and continues to do through them and it blows my mind. To be able to know them as friends is an honor I am not worthy of.
Let us not forget to lay ourselves down daily in humility. Let God be glorified and not us in all things. May people be encouraged as we consider them better than ourselves.