Vital signs- Friday, September 10th, 2021

Pride destroys relationships. It shows up in many different ways, including criticism, competition, stubbornness, and superficiality. 

The problem with pride is that it’s self-deceiving. When you have a problem with pride, everyone except you can see it.

Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride leads to destruction; a proud attitude brings ruin” (NCV). The Message paraphrase says it this way: “First pride, then the crash—the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.”

Pride destroys relationships, but humility is the antidote to pride. Humility builds relationships. The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:8, “Everyone must live in harmony, be sympathetic, love each other, have compassion, and be humble” (GW). 

How do you grow in humility? It happens by letting Jesus Christ begin to control your thoughts, heart, attitudes, and reactions. Ephesians 4:23-24 says, “Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person” (CEV). 

How do you become a new person? How do you start to think differently? The basic law of relationships is this: You tend to become like the people you spend time with. If you spend time with grumpy people, you get grumpier. If you spend time with happy people, you get happier.

If you want to have more humility, spend time with Jesus Christ. He is humble. He wants a relationship with you. He wants you to spend time with him in prayer and reading his Word. As you get to know him, you’ll become more like him. 

“Be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves . . . You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to” (Philippians 2:3, 5-6 NCV/NLT).

Jesus showed powerful humility when he came to earth as a man. He willingly gave his life for us and was resurrected for us. Spending time with Jesus will make you humbler, and that humility will flow into your other relationships.

What are some of the common characteristics and habits of people that you consider humble?

How might you change the way you think about other people, so you think more like Jesus?

What does it mean to give more honor to others than to yourself?