Pride and Humility

Essay

Humility is not a popular topic. Telling people not to be proud, to wait, and not to exalt themselves is not what most want to hear, whether in the world or in the church. Yet humility is one of the most essential virtues for a mature minister and someone who endures over time.

Start with Proverbs 27:18 and 1 Peter 5:6. The one who tends a fig tree eats its fruit, and the faithful servant is honored by their master. This connects long-term faithfulness with bearing fruit. Also, the call to humble yourself under God's mighty hand reminds us that the timing of exaltation belongs to God.

Looking at this from another angle reveals important truths: it means waiting for the right time, avoiding pride, and not lifting yourself up. More deeply, it means that power does not come from us but from God. Therefore, we must learn how to bow under God’s hand.

Jesus’ instruction to take the lowest seat at a banquet carries the same spirit. If you seat yourself in a place of honor and are asked to move down, you will be embarrassed. But if you take the lowest seat and are invited up, it is an honor. Humility is not self-deprecation; it is the wisdom to leave room for God and others to lift you up.

When someone is already elevating themselves, others have no space to honor them. In fact, people may wait for an opportunity to bring them down. This is true even in the workplace. Those who look down on others and complain about "having to work with such low-level people" accumulate words that can one day be used against them. Proud words don’t disappear—they remain in the memories of those around.

Maintaining a humble posture within a community is not just good manners but a survival strategy. The more gifted, the more leadership you have, and the more insight you possess, the more careful you must be. Using your gifts naturally draws attention, but a mature person adjusts the focus so that they are not the center.

A small example from the workplace illustrates this. After a meeting with another company, a proposal was ready to send, but the person chose to confirm and get approval from the CEO one more time. Even if the content was sound, showing respect by letting the leader take the lead in process and protocol demonstrates maturity. Not rushing ahead and exercising leadership without eclipsing the leader is what matters.

This principle is especially important for young ministers. There comes a time when their gifts and abilities shine prominently. It's easy at that moment to become prideful. Excelling in preaching, having insight, and receiving positive reactions can inflate the ego. However, immature ministry does not last long. Pride shows itself in words, and when those words accumulate, it can eventually lead to downfall.

The church is a team. This does not mean that junior ministers should suppress their gifts and leadership. On the contrary, gifts must be used, but with proper alignment. Use your gifts not to stand out for yourself, but to empower the senior leader and the community. This is not about killing leadership, but about practicing restraint and coordination.

David acted with humility before Saul until the very end. Even though he was anointed and called to be king, he did not forcefully overthrow Saul. God elevates those who humble themselves and breaks down those who try to build their own power by force. God opens the door at the right time.

Of course, when placed in a leadership position, a different attitude is necessary. If you are a pioneer or founder who must lead directly, hiding excessively is not the answer. At that point, speak boldly and act with leadership. But boldness is not the same as pride. Boldness means taking responsibility; pride means elevating oneself.

The latter part covers Daniel chapter 9 and the end times further. The one week, or seven-year covenant in Daniel 9, is explained as an important biblical foundation for the seven-year great tribulation. The Antichrist makes a covenant with many for one week, forbids sacrifices and offerings halfway through, and then betrays them—this pattern connects to the structure of the first three and the latter three and a half years.

This sequence ties into the issue of the third temple. The Jewish people are preparing the temple, and communities have already prepared temple utensils. The challenge is that the site they seek to build the temple is Mount Moriah, also known as the Temple Mount. This location is remembered as the site of Solomon's temple and as the place where Abraham offered Isaac.

Judaism and temple sacrifices cannot be viewed merely as religious enthusiasm. Attempting to restore animal sacrifices without accepting Jesus reveals a hardened heart. This explains why, in the last days, Israel undergoes great suffering through the Antichrist's betrayal and invasion, as reflected in Zechariah, Matthew 24, and Daniel 9.

In Matthew 24, Jesus warns that when the abomination of desolation stands in the holy place, flee immediately. Do not look back but escape quickly. This warning connects to the image of true Jewish believers—those genuinely related to God—seeking refuge and protection in the wilderness.

The places of refuge mentioned include Moab and Ammon, associated with modern-day Bosra and Petra in Jordan. These areas are described as natural fortresses with narrow canyons and limited entrances. Though sustaining oneself there for three and a half years through human means would be extremely difficult due to limited resources and infrastructure, the scene in Revelation shows the woman being supernaturally protected and nurtured in the wilderness, suggesting God's divine safeguarding.

The key attitude that runs throughout is the same: those who wait for God to lift them up, who heed Jesus’ warnings and take action, and who do not rely on their own strength but stay under God’s hand will endure. Humility is not merely a gentle personality trait; it is faith that trusts God’s timing and order, faithfully keeping one’s proper place.

Content Notes

1. Humility is an unpopular but essential topic.

Although the series on the last days could have continued, the focus here is on humility and pride. Humility may not be a fun or popular subject, but it is indispensable for building mature leaders and communities.

2. Proverbs 27:18: The one who watches will eat the fruit.

“Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and whoever protects their master will be honored.” This verse connects faithfulness with fruitfulness. Those who persevere and faithfully fulfill their role will ultimately receive fruit and honor.

3. 1 Peter 5:6: God will exalt you in due time.

Be humble under the mighty hand of God. Trust that at the right time, He will lift you up. Do not exalt yourself, but wait on God's perfect timing. Since God is powerful, we must humble ourselves under His hand.

4. Those who exalt themselves create room to be brought low.

Jesus taught that at a banquet, one should take the lowest seat. If you seat yourself in a high place and then have to step down, it brings shame. But if you sit low and are invited up, it brings honor. Those who exalt themselves will inevitably be humbled, while the humble leave space to be elevated.

5. Proud words accumulate and eventually lead to one's downfall.

In workplaces or communities, words that put others down and elevate yourself linger in people’s memories. Even if they seem to pass by unnoticed at first, over time they build up and become grounds for your own undoing. That’s why arrogance in attitude and speech must be handled with great care.

6. The greater the gift, the greater the humility needed.

Using your gifts can naturally make you stand out. Yet a mature person uses their gifts without centering themselves. Gifts are not meant to be hidden but to be used in ways that build up the community.

7. Adjust your approach to highlight and empower the leader.

Confirming with the leader once more before moving forward exemplifies exercising leadership without rushing ahead. Even if the content is accurate and the outcome positive, it is crucial to honor the order by allowing the leader to take the lead first.

8. The Pride Young Ministers Must Guard Against

Young ministers can easily become prideful when their gifts and abilities shine through. The more favorable the response to their preaching, insight, and leadership, the more cautious they must be. An immature minister will not endure long if pride manifests in their words and attitude.

9. Serving Is a Mark of Maturity

Hearing the call to serve pastors in the church may seem repetitive, yet it holds a deeply mature principle. Serving is not mere obedience; it is the attitude of harmonizing oneself so that the entire community can thrive.

10. Asking About Gifts and Exercising Restraint in Leadership Are Different

The call is not to question your gifts. The gifts given by God must be used. However, you should align not to highlight yourself but to uplift the leader and the community. Leadership should not be suppressed but exercised with restraint and coordination.

11. Humility Like David in Waiting for God's Timing

David never tried to forcibly seize the throne from Saul by his own strength. God exalts those who humble themselves and breaks down those who build power through force. Humility is faith in God's timing to open the door.

12. Boldness is also necessary for leadership positions.

In roles where you must lead directly, like a pioneer or founder, hiding too much is not the answer. You must speak boldly and act like a true leader. Boldness differs from arrogance; boldness carries responsibility, while arrogance elevates oneself.

13. Daniel chapter 9 and additional details on the seven-year tribulation.

In the latter part, Daniel 9 provides the foundation for understanding the seven-year tribulation. "One week" is interpreted as seven years, during which the Antichrist makes a covenant with many but then forbids sacrifice and offerings halfway through, betraying the agreement. This explains the division into two periods of three and a half years each.

14. The tension surrounding the Third Temple and the Temple Mount.

It is explained that the Jewish people are preparing the Third Temple, with the temple instruments ready. However, the intended site is the Temple Mount, or Mount Moriah, which makes the subject especially sensitive.

15. The stubbornness of Judaism and the betrayal of the Antichrist.

Attempting to restore animal sacrifices without accepting Jesus is not simple piety but can be a sign of hardened hearts. The Antichrist is portrayed as making a covenant, then betraying it midway, forbidding sacrifices, and invading Israel.

16. The Warning to Flee in Matthew 24

Jesus said that when the abomination that causes desolation stands in the holy place, people should flee immediately without looking back. Those who heed this warning and escape are symbolically connected to the woman protected in the wilderness.

17. Bozrah, Petra, and Wilderness Protection

Places of refuge include Moab and Ammon, locations corresponding today to Bozrah and Petra in Jordan. These natural fortresses are difficult to endure for three and a half years by human means, but it is suggested that God will provide supernatural protection.

18. Conclusion: Those Who Remain Under God's Hand

Humility is not merely speaking softly. It means waiting on God's timing, exercising restraint in leadership, using spiritual gifts for the good of the community, and obeying Jesus’ warnings. Those who do not rely on their own strength but remain under God's hand will ultimately be honored and protected.