Pride and Humility
Lesson
1: Introduction
1 Peter 5:5-7
[5] Likewise, you younger
ones, be subject to the elder. Yes, all of you clothe yourselves with
humility, to subject yourselves to one another; for
“God resists the proud, but gives
grace to the humble.” [6] Humble
yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt
you in due time; [7] casting all your worries on him, because he
cares for you.
PRIDE
1. Inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one's own
superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, accomplishments, rank or
elevation in office, which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance,
reserve, and often in contempt of others.
Pride goeth before destruction. Prov.16.
"pride." Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the
English Language. 2015. http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/word/pride
(22 May 2015).
HUMILITY
1. In ethics, freedom from pride and arrogance; humbleness of mind; a
modest estimate of one's own worth. In theology, humility consists in
lowliness of mind; a deep sense of one's own unworthiness in the
sight of God, self-abasement, penitence for sin, and submission to
the divine will.
Before honor is humility. Prov.15.
Serving the Lord with all humility of mind. Acts.20.
"humility." Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of
the English Language. 2015.
http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/word/humility
(22 May 2015).
HUMILITY
1. the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or
estimate of one's own importance, rank, etc.
"humility." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House,
Inc. 29 May. 2015. <Dictionary.com
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/humility>.
The Main
Points for This Lesson:
The main purpose of
this series of lessons on pride and humility is to emphasize what God
has shown us – that he resists the proud, and gives grace to the
humble. These lessons should help show what pride and humility are,
how they appear in our own lives, and what the end result of each is,
encouraging and exhorting us to put off pride and clothe ourselves
with humility.
God resists (or is
opposed to) the proud and gives grace to the humble. If you want God
to be against you, you only need to be proud. On the other hand, God
promises to give grace to those who are humble in heart, mind and
actions.
Pride and the Proud.
Pride is thinking more highly of ourselves than is right and true.
Someone who has pride is proud. Pride manifests itself in many ways,
including looking down on others with contempt, self-exaltation, and
not listening to advice and counsel from others, especially to those
in authority over us. Pride played a part in sin entering the world
when the serpent tempted Eve by saying she could be like God (Genesis
3:5), encouraging her to think more highly of herself, and so
distrust and disobey God. Pride leads to destruction for the proud.
Humility and the
Humble. Humility is thinking rightly of ourselves in the sight of (or
in relation to) God the Father Almighty and his son Jesus Christ, our
lord. Some would define humility as having a modest opinion or
estimate of ourselves. However, this implies having a lower estimate
of ourselves than is right. Humility is thinking of ourselves as God
has shown us we are, and living in relation to God and to others in
keeping with this clear description of ourselves. Humility includes
in it willing submission to God and his commands, counting others
better than ourselves, serving others, especially the lowly, a
willingness to listen to the counsel and advice of others, and not
pursuing self-exaltation. Humility brings grace from God to the
humble.
Suggestions:
To open the lesson,
pray for the teacher and the students.
Let the children
know that we are now having a few lessons on pride and humility. This
is important because God has said in his word, “God resists the
proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
In this lesson, we
will give an introduction to pride and humility.
Begin by asking the
children if they can explain to you what pride and humility are. They
may have trouble providing a definition, so you can expand the
question to what does pride look like and what does humility look
like. How do you know if someone is proud or if someone is humble?
Make two columns and write their answers on the board so they can
see. If they are having trouble coming up with ideas, you could ask,
If a child tells his parents, I won't listen to you, is he being
proud or humble? If a good student helps a poor student instead of
making fun of him, is he being proud or humble?
As they give their
answers, or after, you can let them know a simple definition of both:
Pride is thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to. Humility
is thinking rightly of ourselves as we ought to.
Read the story of
the two men who went to the temple in Luke 18:9-14. Before reading
the story, ask them to think about being proud and being humble as
they listen to the story.
After the story, you
can ask them who was proud and who was humble. Why do they think this
one was proud and that one was humble? With whom was God pleased?
What happened to each one? What does God say he will do for the
proud, for those who exalt themselves? What does God say he will do
for those who humble themselves?
You could ask the
children at the end if any of them remember a time when they were
proud? What could they have done instead in that situation to be
humble?
To close the lesson,
pray with the children and have all the children read the Lord's
prayer together.
Stories:
Luke 18:9-14
[9] He spoke also this parable to certain people who were convinced
of their own righteousness, and who despised all others. [10] “Two
men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the
other was a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee stood and prayed to
himself like this: ‘God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest
of men, extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax
collector. [12] I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I
get.’ [13] But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t
even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God,
be merciful to me, a sinner!’ [14] I tell you, this man went down
to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts
himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
More Stories
and Examples:
Genesis 3:1-13
[1] Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field
which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really
said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?’” [2] The
woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the
garden, [3] but not the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of
the garden. God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it, neither shall
you touch it, lest you die.’” [4] The serpent said to the woman,
“You won’t surely die, [5] for God knows that in the day you eat
it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing
good and evil.” [6] When the woman saw that the tree was good
for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree
was to be desired to make one wise, she took some of its fruit, and
ate; and she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate it, too.
[7] Their eyes were opened, and they both knew that they were naked.
They sewed fig leaves together, and made coverings for themselves.
[8] They heard the voice of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the
cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the
presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden. [9] Yahweh God
called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” [10] The man
said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because
I was naked; and I hid myself.” [11] God said, “Who told you that
you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not
to eat from?” [12] The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be
with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” [13]
Yahweh God said to the woman, “What have you done?” The woman
said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Other Verses:
Philippians
2:1-11 [1] If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if
any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any
tender mercies and compassion, [2] make my joy full, by being
like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;
[3] doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in
humility, each counting others better than himself; [4]
each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also
to the things of others. [5] Have this in your mind, which was also
in Christ Jesus, [6] who, existing in the form of God, didn’t
consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but emptied
himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness
of men. [8] And being found in human form, he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross. [9]
Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which
is above every name; [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
[11] and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Proverbs 8:12-15
[12] “I, wisdom, have made prudence my dwelling. Find out knowledge
and discretion. [13] The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil. I hate
pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth. [14]
Counsel and sound knowledge are mine. I have understanding and power.
[15] By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
Proverbs 10:8
The wise in heart accept commandments, but a chattering
fool will fall.
Proverbs 11:2
When pride comes, then comes shame, but with humility
comes wisdom.
Proverbs 13:1
A wise son listens to his father’s instruction, but a scoffer
doesn’t listen to rebuke.
Proverbs 13:10
Pride only breeds quarrels, but with ones who take advice
is wisdom.
Proverbs 15:33
The fear of Yahweh teaches wisdom. Before honor is humility.
Proverbs 16:5
Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to Yahweh:
they shall certainly not be unpunished.
Proverbs 16:18
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit
before a fall.
Proverbs 16:19
It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor, than to
divide the plunder with the proud.
Proverbs 18:12
Before destruction the heart of man is proud, but before honor
is humility.
Proverbs 22:4
The result of humility and the fear of Yahweh is wealth,
honor, and life.
Proverbs 29:23
A man’s pride brings him low, but one of lowly spirit
gains honor.
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