Humility Builds Relationships
By Rick Warren
“Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves . . . You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.” Philippians 2:3, 5-6 (NLT)
Choosing to be humble is a relationship builder. What is humility? It’s when you honor others above yourself, not always demanding or clinging to your rights.
Pride, on the other hand, destroys relationships—and it shows up in a lot of different ways. It can make you critical, judgmental, competitive, stubborn, and unforgiving. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride leads to destruction; a proud attitude brings ruin” (NCV).
Pride is also self-deceiving. When you have a problem with pride, you struggle to see it in your life. But everyone else can see it in you!
What does pride look like in a relationship? You always offer advice but never ask for it. And you can’t admit when life is hard. Everybody else is saying, “Yeah, this last week was tough.” But you can’t seem to admit you have any problems.
But how does humility play out in a relationship? Notice the five relationship builders in 1 Peter 3:8: “Live in harmony, be sympathetic, love each other, have compassion, and be humble” (GW). The first four are really built on the last one: Be humble. And it’s an excellent model for relationships.
How does humility happen in your life? It happens by letting Jesus control your thoughts, your heart, your attitudes, and your reactions. Growing in humility has to include Jesus.
The basic law of relationships is this: You become like the people you spend time with. If you spend time with grumpy people, you get grumpier. If you spend time with happy people, you get happier. If you want to have more humility, spend time with Jesus Christ in prayer and reading his Word. Just talk to him. He wants a relationship with you, and he wants to show you how he modeled humility in his life on Earth.
Growing in humility may seem like a big task, but it’s possible with Jesus. Take the first step toward humility by getting to know Jesus, and he will help you become a relationship builder.
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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