Pride and Humility

Today’s post is on the different faces of pride and how humility shapes us to allow God to mold us into who we truly can become.

I fully believe that one of life’s greatest recurring themes is the need to learn how to balance anything and everything, finding the truth in what we’ve been given to deal with.

So today, in my church meetings, we discussed having a broken heart and a contrite spirit, which basically means humility. With this, the discussion of pride came up. I wanted to give my take on what pride truly is.
There are different types of pride in the balance of life. It is not thinking that you are better than everyone. Pride is the sin of humanity, so it can’t be simply that. If I were to try to simplify it, I would say it is holding your opinion, whatever it is, above God’s truth.

In my head, I see pride on more of a spectrum with humility balanced in the center.

What then are on the sides? On one side, is the traditional view of pride—the narcissistic self-loving, or just in general a preoccupation with one’s greatness. However, as I am seeing more and more in our day, is the side that feels worthless that feels despair, self-loathing, perhaps.

Humility, as we know, is not just talking/thinking badly of yourself. Going back to my definition, it is accepting truth of who you are, recognizing God’s “opinion” (truth), and moving forward.

So, say you are greatly afflicted with pride, of thinking that you are not capable, that you are not strong enough, that you are not whatever, and you have the hope to change anyway. Please remember this verse: Isaiah 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of letting the Lord shape us. It takes great humility to fully change and become as He would have us be. I want to develop this thought more, so please send in any comments or feedback, and know that this post is going to be continued as I think about it.

We want to be a perfect statue, detailed and strong, of eternal strength and character.

Yet: We may only be here:

Let the Lord shape you here a little, there a little, and day by day you will find that you’re becoming as He is.
Remember, the potential is already inside you—it just requires a Master’s hand and your agency (since we are not simply rocks…).

Trials may hurt—it is hard to have who you think you are (the marble slab), chipped away. But remember, you are in the best care, watched over, and molded into perfection, to become even as He is. It just takes a little humility, patience, and trust.