If asked, all of us would probably agree that “pride” and “humility” are opposites! I’ve never heard anyone say…”that person has such a humble pride about them!” Have you? 
Lately though, I feel like Jesus has been teaching me that they’re not just opposites, they are opposing paths! In other words, if any one area of my life follows the path of pride (even privately) I can’t, at the same time, be growing down the path of humility!
I wanted to make sure this wasn’t some conclusion I was creating in my head, so I tested it with Scripture…
“Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.” Proverbs 18:12 (ESV)
Haughty is another word for prideful! So what the verse is saying is…
- the path of pride will result in my punishment being destruction & ruin
- the path of humility will result in my reward resulting in honor
In other words, they are opposing paths! We can’t walk down both at the same time! Our lives are either heading down one or the other and if any of area of our life has pride, it’s preventing humility (which brings Jesus honor)!
I’ve been praying for years, and will always, that Jesus would help grow me in humility everyday! I just don’t want to be prideful but I know I’m too weak on my own to fight it!
What I’ve been learning through this is that I (we) can’t really “gain humility” (that’s like step two, as a result of growing through step one)! Step one is “killing our pride” (John 3:30) and as we do & continue to keep Jesus first, humility will be the result!
In other words, I can’t switch the paths that I’m on (pride to humility) until I FIRST, stop walking down the wrong path (pride). Hmmm… so does humility bring repentance or repentance bring humility, which is first (another post, another day)!?
Just what I’m learning…
