Sabbath: Pride Versus Humility
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 11th of April 2026
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study:
1 John 2:15-17, Luke 18:9-14, 1 John 1:9, Hebrews 11:24-26, Luke 22:24-27, Philippians 2:3-8.
Memory Text:
“ ‘For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted’ ” (Luke 14:11, NKJV).
W e’ve all known people with big egos, those who think they are never wrong. Or perhaps you know someone who wants to be in control, who never is open to instruction or constructive criticism. Or someone who seems to be constantly in conflict or is a master of putting others down. Our minds might immediately think of others, but the real question is: What about each one of us? By pointing the finger at others and denying pride in our own life, we deceive ourselves.
We’ve all battled with pride. We’ve all experienced times we want to look, act, speak, or appear better than those around us because we believe that we are better than they are, at least in some way. Someone once said that pride emerges from the desire to show that our lives have value. Yet, we should already know that our lives have value because we were created by God, and we are those for whom Christ died.
This week we’ll explore the impact that pride can have on our relationships with God and with others, and we’ll look at what the Bible teaches us about humility before others and, of course, before God.
Once, Augustine of Hippo said, “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.”
Pride is a killer. Pride is a destroyer. It kills relationships. It kills forgiveness. It kills patience. It kills unity. It kills “I am sorry”. It kills reconciliation.
Pride masquerades as a virtue of: “self-respect”, “self-esteem”, “my principles”, “greatness”, “strength”, “knowledge”, “experience”, “understanding” and “independence”. Pride distorts reality about ourselves and others. Pride magnifies self-importance above everything.
Pride has a master key to all places. It got its way into heaven. It is a permanent member of the church board. It goes to church every Saturday. It is a family member in every home. It always visits every marriage. It also goes to work. It also writes on the SSNET blog. Pride is an intruder.
Jesus rebuked the mindset of pride.“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11, NKJV). A mind of self-promotion is a selfish mind. It amounts to self-worship; it is self-righteous. Jesus provided the antidote for pride: humility.
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” ( Psalm 51:17)
I have been astonished to hear what Pride really is,bad indeed.
Wow!! Did you ever nail that one! I felt like you were addressing me.
“Pride kills, I am sorry.”
Also I’ve noticed that I have to fight the fear of being “embarrassed” or rejected by someone that I randomly meet during my daily walk when I give them a tract or Steps To Christ.
To fight these fears I think of those that have gone before; the martyrs of old, who have left their testimony, the disciples who suffered and died, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Watchman Nee, Corrie ten Boom and her family and of course our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Or George W. Higgins an evangelist from the Shiloh Church in Durham Maine, (the town I grew up in). My Great Grandfather Ruel Clement accepted his message and housed him in his farmhouse. A mob of “Christian” townspeople came to Clement’s farm with the intent to tar and feather Higgins and Clement.
They caught Higgins, stripped him naked, tied him to a cedar railing, paraded him down the road in a public humiliation while church men with buggy whips beat on him as he passed.
Hot tar was spread on his head, chest and shoulders and feathers applied while he stood naked in front of 150 people. Higgins responded, “I count it a privilege to suffer for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for such he did for me” The crowd then became silent and someone placed a blanket on his shoulders.
I knew nothing of this family history until I accidently came upon the newspaper article in the Bowdoin College microfilm library while researching for a paper I was writing. My Grandfather, Lincoln Clement, the son of Ruel Clement never mentioned this story. I think the family was embarrassed by it.
Remember to claim this Bible promise, “All that will live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” 2Tim 3:12
Let us gain courage from those who have gone before and left their testimony of faith.
Wow! I read this several times. Thanks brother Mwambi. Pride is really subtle and very deceitful. Spiritual Discernment is necessary to spot the confusion.
I think it was in a Sabbath School class quite a few years ago, there was a discussion on pride and humility and we were more-or-less convincing ourselves that there is a spectrum from pride to humility and we each sat somewhere along that spectrum. That was until someone injected this idea into the conversation. “There is no spectrum between being pregnant and non-pregnant! You cannot say I am just a little bit pregnant!”
That analogy raised the bar a bit on that discussion. We did not like to entertain the idea, that even the smallest vestige of pride in our hearts made us still proud. Just something to challenge our thinking about the lesson this week.
Yes, this is a universal struggle.
I think we can even be proud of being humble. Which I think tells us that we shouldn’t strive for humility, but rather strive to focus on Jesus and others.
Your story reminds me of a fellow who said, “I’d like to be humble …. but what if nobody notices.”
Many times humanity has been unable to handle the wealth, position, blessings, skills, or talents that, in God’s mercy, have been bestowed upon us. No matter what status we hold, pride has a way of showing its head. The sad reality is that pride in any form isolates us from God and prevents us from becoming people with a contrite spirit devoted solely to Him, which explains why God hates pride. Pride is a stumbling block, and if left unchecked, it will wreak havoc in our lives. More than this, pride exalts self and not God, because instead of God receiving the glory for our lives, we seek praise and glory for ourselves. Our sole goal should be to be the best right where God has placed us. We can pray and ask Him to bless us with new challenges, but we need to focus on His plan and timing for our lives. Peter captured this thought perfectly when he wrote, “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time” (1 Peter 5:6).
It is not the empty cup that we have difficulty in carrying;it is the cup full to the brim that must be carefully balanced – Prophets and Kings p59
A personal relationship with God drives away worldly and sinful pride from our souls and fills us with Godly and holy pride.
Holy pride?
I don’t believe there is such a thing.
If one is feeling a sense of pride because of say a child
finished His or her degree and the
parents feels a s
Sense of pride is that a sin. Or any other accomplishment
I don’t think so because God feels that pride towards His children. And Paul certainly was proud of many of the church members and expressed that in his letters.
“Someone once said that pride emerges from the desire to show that our lives have value.”
I believe there is truth in this statement. Without finding our value in Christ we must prove our value to ourselves and to the world. This is self justification, works righteousness, earning our value, all of which brings the by-product of pride. As we succeed our pride is fostered, the world loves us and we love the world. Unfortunately we then subscribe to a counterfeit value of ourselves that is based on ourselves and not the true value God places on us in Christ.
Worldly success may blind the ego to dependence on God. Money may substitute for the belief in the Creator. No achievement is valid without the recognition that God is the real giver.
What is it called when one tries to justify himself after having been wrongly accused, or motives attacked?
Well Pam it seems to be in human nature to correct someone and set the record straight when one is “corrected” or chastised. I know as a new teacher, years ago, I felt I always had to be right or to “self-justify”. I felt this was necessary so that I would appear as knowledgeable in the field of science, (Physics, Chemistry, Biology). The fear of students, fellow teachers and parents talking amongst themselves was probably topmost. It would be embarrassing to one’s “self-esteem”
However the more years that I taught I learned that it was OK to admit that I didn’t know something and maybe suggest that the student research the answer.
In todays educational environment a teacher or anyone can be fact checked almost instantly.
Even today in the family setting If I think I’m right It becomes very difficult to back down because the nature always wants to self-justify. The nature wants to always win. This can often lead to strife and contention.
The prophet says: “The warfare against self is the greatest battle that was ever fought.” Steps to Christ
The key to overcome this trait is “To come boldly before the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” Hebrews 4:16