Live With A Humble Heart!

February 19, 2026

Live With A Humble Heart!

When I watch the news, I don’t see very many people with humble hearts.  Too often, I see puffed up people who appear to believe more in their status or their power or their influence than they do in things like peace or love or joy.  A humble heart and an eagerness to serve others seems largely lacking in lots and lots of people I see.

Rather than approach life with a humble heart and a gentle spirit, too many seem intent on taking and abusing whatever power they can to get ahead of other people.  I don’t see enough people with a servant’s heart or an interest in building up the people in their circle of influence.

As I listen to conversations, the words “me,” “my,” and “mine,” as well as “I,” “I,” and “I” direct the focus of what is being said.  We have become a people who seem to cling to pride more so than to purpose.

The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the churches in Rome during the first century while they were being persecuted by the Roman government.  When life gets really hard for a long time, people’s true character and values and spirituality are often exposed.

I wonder if pride and arrogance were exposed in the churches in first century Rome.  It is clear that Paul feels the need to address the presence of arrogance in the churches in Rome.  In Romans 12:16 Paul writes; “Live in harmony with one another; do not be arrogant, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.”

When pride and arrogance enter our hearts, we begin to believe we are smarter than other people.  Gradually, we associate less and less with those we believe are below us.  In particular, we will not get to know and continue to serve those in need, those who are poor, and those who are disadvantaged in some way.

Paul is concerned to see pride and arrogance creeping into the churches in Rome.  He brings their pride to their attention so they can make some adjustments in their values and in their faith in Jesus.

Rather than let pride and arrogance guide our life, Jesus calls us to live a life with a humble heart and a gentle spirit.  In Matthew 11:29 Jesus says; “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  If we want to be more and more like Jesus, we will grow our heart until it is more and more like the heart of Jesus who says; “…I am gentle and humble in heart…”

Removing the pride and arrogance in our heart is not always a painless process.  After wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, the Lord God shares His purpose in delaying the Israelites entry into the Promised Land.

In Deuteronomy 8:2 we hear; “Remember the long way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commandments.” 

Sometimes pride and arrogance will take a long time to eliminate.  Like the Israelites in the wilderness, sometimes pride and arrogance will only be removed during a season of struggle and trouble.  Pride and arrogance will have no place in our heart when there is only has room for a humble and gentle spirit.

If pride and arrogance have taken hold of your heart, take some time during the 40 days of Lent to engage in some serious conversations with the Holy Spirit.  Ask the Holy Spirit to do a surgery on your heart to remove the pride and arrogance.

It may also be helpful to have some serious conversations with another Christ-follower.  Ask them to help you identify where in your life you need to begin to address the presence of pride and arrogance. 

The removal of pride and arrogance may be a long journey.  The good news is the Holy Spirit can root out the pride and replace it with humility and gentleness. 

A positive step is to take some time each week to serve the poor in your community.  Maybe there is a soup kitchen or a thrift store or a house repair program where you can meet and really see the ways in which some people are struggling.

As the Spirit grows a humble heart and gentle spirit in you, your life will fill with more and more delight.  Rather than your life being dependent upon what you do and say, your life will be focused more and more on what Jesus is doing for you and saying to you.

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug