When swelling and pride come, then emptiness and shame come also, but with the humble (those who are lowly, who have been pruned or chiseled by trial, and renounce self) are skillful and godly Wisdom and soundness. – Proverbs 11:2, Amplified Bible (AMP)

When born-again believers are consistently proud and arrogant, their behavior betrays the fact that Christ, although their Savior, is by no means The Lord of their lives. Such people are full of their own ambition, leaving no room for Christ’s ambitions for them. As a result, they are full of their own understanding and empty of God’s wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God). When any of us make decisions apart from God’s wisdom, we make foolish decisions that eventually come back to shame us.

When people allow Christ to be in control of their lives, they exchange selfish human nature for Christ’s selfless, supernatural nature. Humble people show in their speech, in their relationships, and in their work that other people’s interests are more important to them than their own, and no task in the service of others is beneath them. As Oswald Chambers puts it in his September 11 entry of My Utmost For His Highest *:

The things Jesus did were the most menial of everyday tasks, and this is an indication that it takes all of God’s power in me to accomplish even the most common tasks in His way. Can I use a towel as He did? Towels, dishes, sandals, and all the other ordinary things in our lives reveal what we are made of more quickly than anything else. It takes God Almighty Incarnate in us to do the most menial duty as it ought to be done.

When others look at your actions, what do they see? A character dominated by humility? Or, a character dominated by pride? If the former, you honor your Lord by evidencing His character in your life. If the latter, you shame your Savior by claiming His name when His character is obviously not in you. Only you can move from a place of shame to a place of soundness, and you can do so today by exchanging your selfishness for Christ’s selflessness. Repent of yourself, ask God to empty you of yourself, and ask Him to fill you with Himself. Although God’s process of chiseling away at your pride will last the rest of your life, He will begin the process the moment you ask Him to.

* www.utmost.org

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