Proud or Humble?

Daniel 4:37 “Those who walk in pride God is able to humble.”

Remember King Nebuchadnezzar? He pronounced the above words having lived them out in his own experience. It was he who walked on the roof of the royal palace in Babylon, reeking with pride, and boasting: “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty.” He’d been warned by a dream which Daniel interpreted, but still refused to give glory to God until the most humbling of humblings rendered him mad for a season before he was restored. He found out the hard way that what the book of Proverbs says is true: God “hates pride and arrogance” (8:13), “when pride comes, then comes disgrace” (11:2), and “pride comes before destruction” (16:18).

Pride afflicts us all. It involves an over-inflated view of self and an under-inflated view of others. Muhammad Ali was a great boxer but perhaps he was an even greater exponent of pride. Once on an airplane, an air stewardess said to him: “Sir, please fasten your seatbelt.” He replied: “Superman don’t need no seatbelt.” Quick as a flash, she shot back: “Superman don’t need no airplane, now fasten your seatbelt!”

As C.S.Lewis wrote: “A proud man is always looking down on things and people. And of course as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” William Law said that “pride must die in us or Christ cannot live in us.” The opposite of pride is humility. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). He saves, guides and crowns the humble (Psalm 18:27, 25:9, 149:4). James says in 4:10 “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

How are we doing today? Proud or humble? May we choose the path of humility.

Lord God, I confess my pride. Help me to walk in humility today. Amen!