Humility is a direction in which we travel, not a destination at which we arrive. Mark and Grace Driscoll challenge you to recognize pride in your life, and to learn how grace empowers you to walk in humility.
Charisma House
Day 1
Scriptures: Proverbs 6:16-19, Matthew 23:12
Picking a Fight With God
What do you hate? If you were to put together a short list of things you hate—things that make your stomach churn, blood boil, and head ache—what would they be?
Did you know that our loving God has multiple lists of things He hates? The Amplified Bible (amp) translates Proverbs 6:17 as “a proud look [the attitude that makes one overestimate oneself and discount others].”
Not only does God hate pride, but He also declares war on it. If we insist on our way, our fame, our glory, and our best interest, the living God of the universe will work against us in direct opposition. Our pride puts us in this demonic position of picking a fight with God.
We’re all proud in different ways. Some of us think we deserve more money. Some of us think we deserve more respect, comfort, or praise.
Before we use the Bible as binoculars to look at other people, we need to use it as a mirror to look at ourselves. The Bible urges us to humble ourselves because the way up in God’s kingdom is to go low. God’s people are told to humble themselves, and those who do so are recognized for it.
Some people live under the myth that circumstances can humble a person. The truth is, circumstances can humiliate you, but the only thing that can humble you is you.
Day 2
Scriptures: James 4:7-10, 1 Peter 5:5
Taking the Pride Test
Perhaps a bit of self-examination will help. Consider each of the following statements and score yourself this way:
Always—5 points
Frequently—4 points
Sometimes—3 points
Rarely—2 points
Never—0 points
- In conversations I prefer speaking about myself or having others talk about me rather than listening about other people.
- In most situations I am thinking about how things will benefit me, reflect on me, or work in my favor.
- If I’m honest, when making decisions I tend to do what I think is best for me rather than what would glorify God.
- When someone says I have hurt or offended them, I tend to think they are the one with the problem.
- When good things happen for other people, I tend to get jealous and have a hard time being happy for them.
- I desire a lot of attention and affirmation.
- I think I’m generally better than most people.
- I am not a generous person and am more prone to take than to give.
- I feel like the world would be a better place if people just agreed with the way
- I think they should behave.
- I have a hard time not winning and am an overly competitive person.
- It is more common for people to serve me than for me to serve them.
- It bothers me when I do something good and do not receive credit for it.
- I have a hard time giving compliments to others, speaking well of others, and honoring others.
- I feel like certain menial tasks are below me and should be done by someone else.
- I hide my Christian convictions when I am with people who might disagree with me, judge me, or reject me.
- I have a hard time taking orders, receiving correction, or being under authority.
- I think about myself more than I think about God and other people.
- I prefer to be the teacher informing others rather than the student who is learning.
- I care a lot about how I appear to others—my appearance, possessions, and people with whom I associate.
- I tend to brag about myself and criticize others.
On a scale of 0–100, how did you score? How much work do you have to do?
Day 3
Scriptures: 1 Timothy 3:6-7, James 4:6-7
The Counterfeit Trinity: Me, Myself, and I
Pride is the counterfeit of humility.
The way out of the devil’s trap is to resist his temptation to be proud and instead to humble ourselves before God. God gives grace to those who seek humility, which means that if you are battling pride with humility, God will help you win your war. If in humility you submit yourself to God, you can by God’s power resist the devil.
By either not stepping in his pride trap or stepping out of his pride trap in repentance, eventually the devil will flee from you.
Marketing efforts have been well-funded by the kingdom of darkness to package pride as self-esteem, self-love, and self-actualization—but it’s still the pride trap. In the sin of pride, the counterfeit trinity is me, myself, and I. In pride Satan rebelled against God because he desired to be God. In pride Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit because they wanted to be like God. In pride we reject God’s wisdom, will, and Word because we think we are a better god.
All sin is birthed out of pride. All virtue, all holiness, and all glory to God are birthed out of humility.