Pride has long been one of the biggest sins mentioned in the Bible. Pride is seen as a destructive force that can tear down relationships and stop people from having a relationship with God.
It can also be detrimental to our spiritual growth, draining us of energy needed to serve others instead of selfishly using it in pursuit of self-promotion or aggrandizement. In this blog post, we take an authoritative look into what exactly pride is according to the scriptures, and explore six biblical steps for getting rid of pride so you can start living with humility and acting out true greatness on your journey towards sanctification.
So if you’re looking for advice on how to get rid of pride issues based on biblical teachings, then keep reading!
The Problem with Pride
Pride has been referred to as humanity’s “original sin,” going all the way back to when Adam and Eve first disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. Left unchecked, pride can warp faith-affirming behaviors and convictions into a self-centered arrogance that masks its motives from others and sometimes even ourselves.
Where does pride come from?
The origin of pride is often attributed to Lucifer in the Bible. In Isaiah 14:12-14, it says that because of his pride and ambition, Lucifer, or Satan, was cast out of heaven. Pride has been a destructive force ever since then.
Pride can come from wanting to be better than others or putting oneself before God; it comes from an arrogant attitude and a desire for personal glory rather than relying on God’s love and mercy for greatness.
Even historically praised figures like Benjamin Franklin observed how our egocentric behavior tends towards foolishness if unchecked.
This same egoistic sentiment can be seen at work in Adam and Eve’s original sin in the book of Genesis (3:1-6). When tempted by the serpent they chose their own will instead of submission to God’s commandment—thus unhealthy desires ruled them over what was right.
What does God think about pride?
In the Bible, it is established that God hates pride and resists the proud. In Proverbs 16:5, He states “Everyone who is arrogant in his heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured he will not go unpunished.” God admonishes us to put our trust in Him alone and encourages us to remain humble and obedient, so that we do not become complacent or faithless.
As stated in James 4:6-7 “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” Pride can lead people away from relying on their faith in Jesus Christ as well as turning them away from a life of humility and service – two essential qualities for faithful Christians.
The consequences of unchecked pride are severe — leading to loss of eternal blessings such as heaven — yet with true repentance there does exist hope for those who sin against His great love.
Our response to pride
When struggling with pride, it’s important for Christians to remember who God is and their place before Him. This means acknowledging the greatness and sovereignty of God, so that our own vanity does not stand above or against Him.
The Bible makes clear in several places how we are called to respond to pride: humility (James 4:6-7), selflessness (Philippians 2:3-4), truthfulness through confession (Proverbs 28:13), honesty about what we do well but of which comes from God’s giftings (1 Corinthians 4:7).
Additionally, as John the Baptist said “He must increase; I must decrease” – a reminder for us all that focusing on ourselves detracts from fully serving others in His love. It takes real bravery and strength of character to admit when we have gone wrong or been selfish – this reveals true earthly greatness rather than any kind of false egoistic elevation.
To be truly humble is an empowering act where we greet each day recognizing our limitations before a majestic Savior who will provide favor anyway! Seeking out help from prayer partners or spiritual mentors can also be beneficial when opting into change and contentment through seeking refuge in Christ.
Solutions for Pride
Pride is an issue that Christians must approach with humility and understanding as it can become a real barrier between us and God. We must be intentional about recognizing when we start to act pridefully, as opposed to simply pretending it does not exist, if we are going to make progress in our journey of faith.
Thankfully, the Bible provides some important guidance for how we can put away our pride and turn more towards God’s will.
Give others permission to point out pride
Giving others permission to point out pride in our lives helps keep us honest and humble before God. The Bible is full of warnings against the danger that unchecked pride can cause.
It’s important to recognize when it starts taking over, as Proverbs 16:18 warns that “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” We must be willing to accept criticism from those closest to us, so we don’t find ourselves slipping deeper into self-deception and selfish ambition rather than living according to God’s will.
Almighty God understands our human limitations and graciously allows for accountability between believers who are committed to loving one another in truth (John 13:34-35). To put away pride means asking trusted Christian friends or family members for their guidance on areas of neediness or insecurity within us; allowing them insight means gaining the benefit of an outside perspective we may not readily see in ourselves.
Focus more on God
Humility is the state of knowing our place before God and not exalting ourselves above Him as He alone is worthy of praise. The Bible calls us to live humbly before God, giving Him all glory while not allowing pride to enter into our hearts.
It is important to remember that everything we have and even who we are comes from Him, so we must focus on giving thanks and showing gratitude for His gifts. Setting regular times aside for prayer can be a powerful tool for cultivating humility since it involves humble communication with God and pouring out our hearts in acknowledgment of His faithfulness, power, beauty, creativity and goodness toward us.
We should endeavor to put away thoughts that keep us stuck in prideful attitudes like arrogance or reliance upon self-effort rather than trust in Christ , recognizing that ultimately it is He who deserves credit for any good thing we do or achieve.
Pray
Prayer is an integral part of the Christian faith, and it is a powerful weapon in overcoming pride. With prayer comes humility: we come before God as his creations, acknowledging our dependence on Him.
We recognize that whatever gifts and abilities we possess are ultimately from God; they cannot be attributed to our own effort or merit. Through prayer, Christians can affirm their trust in God’s grace and His sovereign plan for them.
When confronted with feelings of pride, believers can call upon the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance on addressing those thoughts. Prayer is a safe place to pour out one’s struggles with pride because God knows us better than anyone else; He understands what we need even when we may not know how to ask for it ourselves.
Remember who God is and our place before Him
It is all too easy to forget what God says about our pride. Pride is a sin that God hates and He acknowledges it as not only damaging to relationships, but also blinding individuals from His great plan. To combat this, it is essential for us to remember who God is and our place before Him by pursuing a lifestyle of submission and humility in order to receive grace from the Lord.
The Bible contains several verses on humbling ourselves before the Lord (Proverbs 16:19-20; James 4:10). God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble (1 Peter 5:5b).
Seeking true greatness through putting away pride requires selfless obedience to our Creator which can be done through recognizing His divine gifts, praising Him even when we do not understand His plans or purposes, depending on His providence, cherishing the fullness of salvation in Jesus Christ alone and living as faithful stewards of these priceless blessings while serving others with love.
By keeping these biblical truths at heart, we can live lives devoted to serving rather than worrying about being served – evidenced by giving credit where due instead of taking credit somehow linked with our own good works.
Six Ways to Put Away Pride
We can put away pride by giving God credit for His blessings, recognizing these gifts, depending on Him in all circumstances, cherishing the gospel of Jesus Christ and its power to transform our hearts and minds, serving others in humility rather than seeking recognition or status ourselves, and finding true greatness through self-examination in order to recognize when pride may have crept back into our lives.
Give God credit
Giving God credit for successes and accomplishments is an essential biblical principle. In our lives, we often feel like we have to do everything ourselves to be successful; however, Scripture reminds us that all good things come from the Lord (James 1:17).
Acknowledging this puts pride in its rightful place and restores humility in its stead. Renewing your mind with these fundamental truths reinforces gratitude towards God, who blesses you with many gifts according to His will (Romans 12:2).
By recognizing His loving hand behind everything you receive helps put away pride because it keeps our minds focused on Him. Believing that it is only by grace — not by human effort — that anything has been done can transform yesterday’s arrogant ambitions into humble acceptance of today’s opportunities beyond what belongs naturally under his authority and provision.
Recognize His gifts
The Bible is very clear about the dangers of pride. In James 4:6 it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (NIV). One way to counteract prideful tendencies is by recognizing and giving thanks for God’s gifts.
Every good thing we have in life comes from Him, and humbly reflecting on this truth strengthens our faith while encouraging an attitude of humility—the opposite of proudly believing that we have achieved our successes through our own strength or power.
We are also given many spiritual gifts enabling us to express kindness and selflessness towards others instead of clinging to self-centeredness or a sense of superiority.
Recalling these blessings should help us to be content so that when temptations arise that attract us toward feeling arrogant due to what we have accomplished in comparison with those around us – it becomes easier to remain humble instead.
Depend on His providence
Humility and pride are contradictions in nature – when one rises the other must fall. Pride, the antithesis of humility, is a particular affliction that can be difficult to overcome at times.
However, depending on God’s providence can help Christians put away their prideful tendencies and lead more humble lives. The Bible sets forth several passages that emphasize the importance of walking humbly with our Lord – Numbers 12:3 cautions us against exhibiting an appearance of superiority before God; Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us it is by grace alone we have been saved through Him; Romans 12:16 bids us to think soberly about ourselves according to sound faith.
Just as Jesus demonstrated throughout His time on Earth – washing feet, denying Himself long-term rest or sleep for petitions and miracles — believers should strive to become living sacrifices for their brothers and sisters alongside sacrificing personal gain (Matthew 20:28).
To maintain this mindset shift, those struggling with pride should take certain precautions guided by scripture like placing limits on boasting which hinders developing Christlike character (James 3:5), avoiding comparison which leads man toward destruction (2 Corinthians 10:12) and rejecting slanderous language embracing words that build up in stead (Ephesians 4:29).
Furthermore meditating on scriptural truths through prayer will help restore perspective— such as remembering we are nothing without God who controls all things He created; His will be done regardless what mankind decides!
Cherish the gospel
Cherishing the gospel is at the heart of putting away pride for Christians. According to scripture, our relationship with God starts through Jesus’ grace on the cross; it’s not something we can take credit for or ever attain in our own strength.
By clinging to that good news and renewing our minds daily with it, we recognize our place before a holy and unchanging God. We have an opportunity when doing this to reject pride and instead embrace humility – accepting all that He has done for us and how far He’s willing to go so that we may draw nearer to Him.
When cherishing the gospel, we open ourselves up to Christ-like living which Peter describes as having heaven’s peace filling your hearts (Colossians 3:15). Specifically looking at Philippians 2:3-7, Paul urges believers everywhere “not [to] think too highly unworthily” but put others before themselves by considering everyone equal no matter what their social standing or background might be like.
Being truly humble can only come about when understanding fully how much love was granted on Calvary’s hill; embracing this allows holiness of character blossom within individuals as they become more capable of letting go of prideful ambitions in favor of deepening faithfulness towards those around them.
Serve others
Serving others is an essential part of getting rid of pride, according to the Bible. God tells us that when we choose to serve and love others, it will “fill up [our] lampstand” with light (Matthew 6:33).
When we are consumed by our own vanity and ambition, it takes away from all the good deeds which can be done for other people. Helping fellow believers both near and far shifts our focus off ourselves onto others.
The humility that follows serves as a reminder that despite how much effort we put in trying to better ourselves, only through loving service can true greatness be obtained (Proverbs 11: 2-3).
We must give credit where it due — not seeking praise or admiration but instead offering thanksgiving back to God for all the gifts He has bestowed upon us (James 4:10). Humility isn’t about being ashamed or devaluing oneself; rather it’s recognizing who God is and our place before Him at all times.
By seeing how truly blessed we are compared with everyone else, churches often encourage members to channel their strengths towards helping one another in different ways—such as visiting the sick or contributing financially to those in need—allowing us to always maintain a humble attitude so we “seek not [our] own glory” (John 8:50).
Seek true greatness through humility
Humility is a precious grace that is essential for experiencing true greatness. According to the Bible, all our outward accomplishments are nothing compared to the inner virtue of humility.
Instead of seeking recognition and clinging to accolades—which only leads to pride—true greatness comes through letting go of ourselves and embracing what God has planned for us.
These actions point towards Jesus’ example during his earthly ministry: He washed his disciples’ feet in an act demonstrating sacrificial service (John 13:1-17), praised those around Him who were making humble sacrifices (Mark 12:41-44) and healed those with faith regardless how insignificant they considered themselves (Matthew 8:5-13).
Conclusion
As members of the body of Christ, it is important for us to put away pride and choose humility. Pride leads to destruction and distances us from God’s will for our lives. Ultimately, if we want to experience peace and joy that comes with living in a state of submission to God, then we must learn how to put away pride.
By being humble enough to give credit where it is due, recognizing His gifts, trusting Him fully over our circumstances, cherishing the gospel constantly instead of ourselves or anyone else’s successes or accomplishments; by serving others with grace as Jesus did; seeking true greatness through humility—we can put away pride step-by-step and look forward confidently in faith towards eternal life with him one day.
The Bible says that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). As believers in Jesus Christ let us strive daily for a heart full of humility like Him before God so that He may do His amazing work on earth!
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