"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Jesus said this in Luke 14, talking to the Pharisees and the guests who took the place of honor. These days, not many people are humble. I'm not, that's for sure. Selfishness pretty much defines our lifestyle. But people always say, the universe doesn't revolve around you.
Humility can be shown through small things, such as holding the door for someone, or large things, like the ultimate expression of love by Jesus. The Bible says that "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Pride may feel good at the time, but always brings shame and embarrassment in the end.
Pride was a large part of the original sin by man, and the first sin of all by Satan was prideful through and through. Adam and Eve wanted to be like God after being tempted by the serpent, and Satan himself wanted to be "like the most high." Pride has existed since the fall. Christians as well as non-Christians struggle with pride, and will until Christ returns.
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Sam Burckhard
But with God's help, we can be humble. He will help if we ask him to. He wants us to be humble, and he doesn't expect us to be able to with our sinful nature. So I don't think he'll just let us struggle to follow him, being a loving, all-powerful God.
A good example of humility is stepping out of your comfort zone to take God's word to others. Next summer in July, a youth group from First Baptist Church is going to Orange County, Calif., on a mission trip to share the Gospel with the people there. Mission trips express the verse John 3:30 well. It reads "He must become greater, I must become less."
Therefore, humility is an important character trait, and we can live humble, godly lives through him. "Not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:9)
Sam Burckhard is a seventh-grader at Our Redeemer's Christian School in Minot.