Yesterday I attended a church service in northern Indiana. I was blessed to listen to a profound ministry from the gentleman conducting the sermon. What I heard was mesmorizing to say the least. It spoke to my soul. The message was titled “Cultivating a Heart of Humility”. What follows are highlights of this message as I understand it. My belief is that the intent of this message was to offer a glimpse of a lifestyle using the tools of fasting and biblical scripture in order for each of us to achieve a heart of humility. Some of the following passages from the bible were quoted to enhance this message with clarity. Because of the impact of this message, I will take the next several days to unlock the soulful meaning of this message as it impacted me.
After spending the early few months of this year outlining the benefits of fasting protocols and the essential needs of the mind, heart, body, soul, and spirit, it is now time to begin to express how the efforts of fasting and the ensuing blessings lay a foudation for us to find our true purpose in this life. I feel the sermon I heard yesterday bring it all together.
This speaker identified the perfect representation of humility was Jesus Christ. The mindset of Jesus gives us the perfect example of authentic humility.
Philippians 2 – NIV
Imitating Christ’s Humility
2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Do Everything Without Grumbling
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”[c] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
What does it mean that pride goes before a fall (Proverbs 16:18)?
ANSWER
Many proverbs warn that the sin of pride is a dangerous offense. Proverbs 16:18 declares, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Verse 18 links to verse 19: “Better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud.” The meaning of the passage is clear-cut: pride leads to humiliation. It is better to be humble and poor than proud and rich.
A similar proverb expands the message: “Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor” (Proverbs 18:12 NLT). While pride sets us on an ill-fated course, the opposite of pride—humility—leads to honor. To choose pride is to set oneself up for a fall; the pedestal we make for ourselves proves a precarious foundation.
Pride in the context of these verses refers to an arrogant attitude that manifests itself as independence from God and contrasts strikingly with humility. Such arrogance is hazardous to our well-being and success in life because it keeps us from fearing the Lord. By contrast, “Humility is the fear of the LORD; its wages are riches and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4).
To fear the Lord and thus avoid the pride that goes before a fall is to respect, reverence, and submit to Him in every area of life. When we fear the Lord, we acknowledge our desperate need for God because He is infinitely wiser than we are: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil” (Proverbs 3:7).
Terms like destruction, fall, disaster, ruin, and downfall in these passages can be understood as a punishment or discipline meted out to the proud in order to humble them and correct their waywardness. The word fall translates from a verb meaning “stumble” or “stagger.” Pride, unchecked, leads to destruction; the purpose of Scripture’s warnings is to put the proud sinner back on a path that leads to honor and life. For this reason, the maxims repeatedly inform, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2). And again, “Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor” (Proverbs 29:23, NLT).
The Edomites serve as a classic example of the adage “pride goes before a fall.” Because of arrogance of heart, Edom fell never to rise again: “The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’ Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down declares the LORD” (Obadiah 1:3–4; see also verses 15–16). Many biblical prophets echo this theme: “The proud one shall stumble and fall, with none to raise him up” (Jeremiah 50:32, ESV; see also Isaiah 28:3; Ezekiel 31:10–12; Zephaniah 3:11; Zechariah 10:11).
Perhaps the most dramatic and consequential illustration of pride going before a fall is what happened in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve’s fall stands behind every proud fall of humankind since. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and proudly chose their own way. The fall that resulted was catastrophic.
The proud person pursues his or her own way, but the humble one obeys God’s Word. Delighting in the Lord and humbly following His commands makes us sure-footed so that we will not slip or stagger: “The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him” (Psalm 37:23; see also Psalm 18:36; 37:31). Humility and fear of the Lord establish us securely on God’s path, where our feet won’t stumble, nor will we fall (Proverbs 3:26; Psalm 17:5; 119:133).
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