For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.
Luke 14:11 HCSB

The Bible has numerous verses on pride. Proverbs 8:13 says, “The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” Proverbs 16:5 says, “Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished.”

The Bible also has numerous passages that tell us what we need to do if we find ourselves all puffed up with pride. Proverbs 8:13 tells us that the fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. We can begin by fearing the Lord. Proverbs 11:12 tells us that with pride comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 29:23 tells us that he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.

Our Scripture passage tells us that if we exalt ourselves, we will be humbled. This means God will bring us down, in case you were wondering. However, if we humble ourselves, God will exalt us or lift us.

The dangerous thing about pride is that once we become prideful and arrogant, we consider ourselves so wise and important that we fail to listen to what others have to say. We consider ourselves to be superior and tend not care what others have to say. We see ourselves as the smartest person in the room.

As with any problematic situation in our lives, we first have to see the problem. If you are prideful, there is a good chance that you will never acknowledge it. So, I encourage you instead to look at your relationship with the Lord.

Do you listen to His Word? By this, I mean, do you study your Bible? I don’t mean read it; I mean study it. Do you keep an open line of communication with Him through prayer? If you pray and don’t study your Bible, this is a one-sided conversation. This might be an indicator of pride.

If you are reading this and thinking you may have just a tiny pride issue, talk to God about it. Pray Psalm 129:23-24, which says, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.”

My friend, pride will literally destroy you. It is something God hates and considers to be an abomination. If you have it, get rid of it immediately. The only way to do this is by humbling yourself. And know that if you don’t humble yourself, God will humble you. And I have to tell you that it may not be pleasant.

The cure for pride is humble submission. Surrender your life to God. Give your all to Him. Trust in Him and allow Him to lead the way for you. Trust me, I can tell you from experience, you will be so glad you did.

Have a great day!