The pothole of spiritual pride is a dangerous one to find yourself in, indeed Lewis comments that 'pride leads to every other vice, it is the complete anti God state of mind.' Pride is the person who is always critical of others, refusing to learn and take advice from those around him. The Psalmist comments 'in his pride the wicked does not seek him, in all his thoughts there is no room for God' (Psalm 10:4). Pride is the person who is obsessed with comparing himself with others. The proud person gets no pleasure from having something, except that he has more of it than the next man. The pharisees Jesus confronted in the Bible were the epitome of pride.
Humility is the antithesis to pride, Jesus teaches that 'everyone who exalts themselves will be humbled, but he who humbles themself will be exalted' (Luke 18:14). Humilty comes upon us whilst we are unaware, it is only visible for others to see; humility does not seek itself, furthermore it remains invisible to itself. Richard Foster says 'the more you seek humility, the more distant it will seem.'
Humility can be attained through service...service smashest pride in two. Peter instructs us to 'offer hospitality to one another, without grumbling' (1 Peter 4:9). Jesus Christ, the epicentre of all redemptive history, gives us the greatest example of humility...he came not to be served but to serve himself (Mark 10:45). Through service we die to ourselves and our own desires a little more each time, we experience 'many little deaths.' Those in the service industry are those in society who are despised and treated with the most contempt, the cashiers on the check out, the people who collect your trash each week or the people who serve you dinner. To serve others without reward or personal gain is to be therefore, radically counter cultural.
Humility is something to be practised each and every day. Peter Reid comments 'the surest road to spiritual greatness is that of humility, but it the road least taken.' Which road are you going to take?
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