There are several proverbs and bible stories that warn us about being prideful. The basic principle is that humility, not pride, is the virtue that God wants us to have. But don’t have to take my word for it, Jesus does a really good job of pointing this out in Matthew 23:11-12 which says:
"The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
Earlier in this passage, Jesus warns the crowd not to be like the Pharisees who were the religious leaders of the day. He says that everything they do is done for men to see. What they say and what they do; even the honor they receive from men reflects an aura of pride. They want to see themselves exalted. But Jesus says that whoever humbles himself will be exalted and that the greatest among you will be your servant. Jesus himself demonstrated this when he washed the disciple’s feet at the last supper. I say all of that to encourage you to strive to be great in God’s sight, not man’s. Man’s greatness reflects pride, but greatness in God’s sight is being humble even to the point of serving others. If we call ourselves believers, we should humble ourselves and help those in need. Paul says that we should even think of others as better than ourselves.
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Jesus calls us to be servants here on earth. I encourage you to think about what being a servant might look like in your life. Who is hurting around you? Who needs help? Who can you show kindness to? It doesn’t have to be something big. It could be doing the dishes without being asked, or making friends with the uncool kid at school. I’m sure if you put your mind to it, or better yet, if you put your heart to it, God will show you what it could mean in your life to humble yourself and be a servant. After all, that’s what Jesus modeled for us here on earth. And he says that no servant is greater than his master. So, if our master – Jesus - served people, we should too.