Jesus set the highest standard of humility and called us to learn from Him. Sure, we can have all the successes and accomplishments in the world, but without humility, it’s akin to being that well-dressed individual with a not-so-pleasant fragrance!
By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom. Proverbs 13:10
Insecurities
If believers are not firmly grounded in who God says they are, they can become proud, brag about themselves, or compete with others to feel better about their insecurities.
For example, sometimes, people get involved in ministry to fill a need for significance in their hearts. The truth is that there are seasons to everything, and if we depend on our ministry works to give us security and identity, sooner or later, that will be shaken.
Furthermore, if we genuinely believe everything we have and do comes from the Lord, there is no room for bragging or feeling arrogant about it. We should, in humility, thank the Lord for the opportunities he has given us.
Competing is another symptom of insecurity where some people cannot feel content with what they have and do, but they have to have or do what someone else is doing. It makes them feel inferior if they don’t have what others have. Inferiority and pride are two sides of the same coin. Competing with others is bound to ensue strife and performance which are not God’s heart for His children.
Bragging about oneself or competing with others is never the answer. That’s not who God is, nor how the Lord wants his children to operate. We must starve and reject pride and feeling inferior.
We need to continue to pursue God and find our security in Him. He is unchanging, and He brings stability to our minds and emotions.
Our Position in Christ
Regardless of our maturity or accomplishments in God’s kingdom, we are nothing apart rom Him. Jesus is our righteousness, truth, and life. The enemy can trap people by self-condemnation on the one hand and self-exaltation on the other hand, and it can all happen in one day!
We need to continually bring our thoughts captive to Christ’s obedience and align our thoughts with the Bible. In the absence of that, a believer can live a schizophrenic life. One day, they feel proud of their accomplishments for God, and the next day, they feel like a worthless person who doesn’t deserve to be a Christian. A life of stability avoids pride in order to stay off of roller coaster of accomplishments and failures that takes it to highest heights and the lowest lows. Instead our delight is in who we are in Christ!
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