Humility Is a Choice
By Rick Warren
“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.” 1 Peter 5:6 (NLT)
When you’re successful, it’s much easier to fall hard than it is to maintain your success. When you experience success, the natural tendency is to get proud and forget about God—but success crumbles when you do that.
If you find yourself forgetting about God in your success, you need to immediately take this critical step: Repent.
The Bible says, “Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you” (Revelation 2:5 NIV).
If you’re getting proud, you must repent. When you repent, you change your mind. You go from thinking your way about your life to thinking God’s way.
Why repent? Because humility is a choice. The Bible says, “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor” (1 Peter 5:6 NLT).
Notice that the verse doesn’t tell you to ask God to humble you. Humility is something you choose for yourself.
Here’s the difference between pride and humility: Pride is when you accept credit for things that God and other people have done through you and for you. Humility doesn’t mean thinking less of yourself. It means thinking of yourself less—and thinking of God and others more.
If you have experienced success and are beginning to get prideful, then repent of that pride—today! Change your perspective about who you are and where your success comes from.
The Bible says, “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12 NIV).
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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