Pride is one of the most destructive characteristics anyone can have.  Solomon sums it up for us. 

Proverbs 16:18 (ESV)
¹⁸  Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

No wonder we are encouraged in scripture to be humble.  Humility is a core characteristic of Christianity.  I say that because being Christians involves emulating our Savior, Jesus Christ, and He was humble.

Philippians 2:8 (ESV)
⁸  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

If the Son of God was willing to humble Himself, we should be willing to do so as well.  Humility helps us to be better Christians in every area of Christianity.  It helps us to serve God better.  Humility helps us to put our desires and wants behind God’s and to do His will.  It is one of the things that led Jesus to say to His Father, “not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). 

Humility also helps us to be better servants of one another.  In the same passage that Paul wrote about the humility of Christ, he wrote about how we should humbly approach one another.

Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV)
³  Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Pride leads to putting ourselves first, but humility helps us to put the interests of others before ourselves.  When we do this, we are following in the steps of Jesus.

Romans 15:2-3 (ESV)
²  Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. ³  For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”

The truth is, none of us have any reason not to be humble.  Paul helps us to put this in perspective when he wrote to the brethren at Corinth, a group that was struggling with the issue of pride.

1 Corinthians 4:7 (ESV)
⁷  For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

The saints at Corinth tended to brag about the spiritual gifts that they had as if those gifts originated with them.  Of course, they only had those gifts because God graciously gave them to them by the laying on of Paul’s hands.  It made no sense to be boastful about them.

It makes no sense for us to brag either, seeing that any gifts or talents we possess have been given to us by God as well.  What should we do with ourselves?  We should humble ourselves in the sight of God (1 Peter 5:6).  We will serve both God and brethren better if we do.  

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.