Humility In A Self-centered World

Today we will dive deep into a central human struggle: self-centeredness.*Ever find yourself in a quarrel with your friends, your parents, or maybe just with life itself? Ever wondered why? Proverbs 13:10 says, "Only by pride comes contention: but with the well advised is wisdom." You might think, "Hold up, pride can't be the only reason for all my battles, right?"

Let's pause and rethink. What's pride, really? Is it just thinking you're better than someone else? Or could it be something more? It could be seeing yourself as the center of everything. And that, my friend, is what we call self-centeredness. Do you remember Moses from the Bible? In Numbers 12:2, his siblings, Aaron and Miriam, criticized him. But Moses, described as the meekest man on earth, prayed for them instead of retaliating.

Moses was called the meekest man on earth, and yet he was the one who wrote it down. Isn't that strange? That's because humility isn't about ignorance of your qualities. It's about not being absorbed in yourself, whether that's thinking you're superior or inferior to others. Remember, self-centeredness can come dressed in a shy, timid disguise too!

If pride, or self-centeredness, is the root of all contention, then our self-focus causes our hurt and anger, not what others do to us. Ever wondered how Jesus, even while being crucified, forgave those inflicting pain upon him? It was because he was not self-centered.

This shows us that the source of our pain isn't external; it's within us. But here's the good news: you can change that! We can overcome our self-centeredness and find peace by choosing to love God, His kingdom, and others more than ourselves.

So, as you navigate your life, remember that it's not about removing obstacles but dealing with your inner self. Learn to love and forgive as Jesus did. Because once you shift from a self-centered life to a God-centered one, the strife and contention in your life will cease. So today, challenge yourself. Look within, humble yourself before God, and invite Him to lead your life. This is the path to true wisdom, the path to victory.