Taming the raging beast of pride

“How do you tame the raging beast of pride in all its forms?  Through humility.  Nothing kills pride like humility does.  Only humility can get you out of what pride got you into.”- Carey Nieuwhof

In Chapter 10 (“Habits of the Humble”) of Didn’t See It Coming, Carey Nieuwhof talks about how to become more humble.  Obviously, you can’t simply wake up one morning and will yourself to be humble.  Hence, Pastor Nieuwhof lists three ways to find humility:

1. cultivate humility as a discipline or habit from a young age– this, Carey notes, rarely happens.  For most of us, the author adds, cultivating humility involves pain.
2. through humiliation – this happens not by your own choice, but via circumstances or another person.  By definition, then, humiliation is involuntary.   However, Carey points out, the danger doesn’t occur in the actual act.  Rather, danger results because humility is easily abandoned.  It’s far too easy to walk away from your humbling and from the lessons you could have learned from it.  Pastor Nieuwhof explains: “Humility stays only if you invite it.  Even more than that, you need to submit to it, crave it, hone it, develop it, and nurture it.  Otherwise, it leaves, and pride returns as soon as the bruises on your knees heal.:
3. invite it in and cultivate it– you learn the ways of the humble and decide to make those ways your principal way of operating.  As a result, there’s no room for pride to stay, let alone grow.  Yet, this is a difficult process.  Because for the people who need it most, humility’s never attractive.  To them, though, pride’s downright appealing.

Finally, in the next blog, Carey presents five practices to help you cultivate and practice humility.

Today’s question: What Bible verses help you tame the raging beast of pride?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Burnout messes with your thinking”