SECOND QUARTER 2026
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #3
APRIL 18, 2026
"PRIDE VS HUMILITY".

 

When Pastor Ron Kelly was the pastor of the Cicero Adventist church, I was a pastor of a nearby church. For a time, both of us were asked to fulfill a conference role part time, while we continued to pastor our churches. I was asked to be the Health Ministries Director and Ron was asked to be the Family Life Director.

As the Family Life Director, Ron became acquainted with Bruce and Dorothy Hayward at the Berrien Springs Village Church. Bruce was an associate pastor of the Village church from 1996 to 2016. Dorothy was a counselor, focused on family life ministry for the Village church. They introduced Pastor Kelly to John Regier’s ministry, “Biblical Concepts of Counseling.” The ministry name was later changed to what it is now, “Caring for the Heart Ministry.” Pastor Ron then introduced his ministry to the pastors in the Indiana conference. 

John had been a pastor of a Mennonite church early in his ministry. When married couples came to him for counseling, he would try to help them communicate better with each other so they could resolve their problems. However, he felt he didn’t make a difference in their lives. 

Out of a desperate need to learn how to help people, John prayed for wisdom. He studied the Bible to learn principles that would help bring healing to couples and families.

Over a period of time, he began to have positive success. He came to the conclusion that if someone was having a difficult time freely giving or receiving love, they had a root issue that needed to be resolved.

John identified 10 root issues: bitterness, rebellion, immorality, generational sins, hypocrisy, temporal values, sinful habits that are cherished, pride, occult activity, and negative thought patterns. 

Through prayerful listening, John helps couples discern the root issues that need to be resolved and helps them become free in Christ. Genuine love is restored in the relationship and heathy, caring conversation and bonding grows.

With permission from John Regier, Bruce and Dorothy Hayward wrote a workbook called, God’s Heart Call to Inner Peace. It is an Adventist version of the principles John taught.

The above introduction provides a background to the focus of this weeks Sabbath School Insight related to “Pride and Humility.”

The following is a description of pride from John Regier’s book, Biblical Concepts Counseling Workbook.

 

Pride is an exalted view of oneself

Pride is a focus on oneself that is expressed in thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions. It is manifest in self-centered wisdom (look at what I know), egotistical strength (look at what I can do) and in the accumulation of possessions (look at what I have). Instead of focusing on wisdom, strength, and riches, God encourages us to be proud that we know and understand Him. Our focus must be on giving God credit for everything we do and any abilities we have. 

Jeremiah 9:23,24 (NKJV)

Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;  But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.

God Hates Pride

God will not tolerate pride in a person’s heart and will break the pride of the haughty. Not only does He resist the proud, but He shows favor to the humble.

Proverbs 8:13 (NKJV)

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.

Psalm 101:5 (NKJV)

Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; the one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure.

Psalm 18:27 (NKJV)

For You will save the humble people, but will bring down haughty looks.

Proverbs 15:25 (NKJV)

The LORD will destroy the house of the proud, but He will establish the boundary of the widow.

There are two types of pride: obvious and hidden

Obvious pride is a focus on oneself, one’s possession or one’s achievements. It originates from an exaggerated view of oneself. 

Hidden pride is a focus on one’s inner pain and feelings of rejection that develop into self-pity, resulting in an inability to see anything except one’s own needs and feelings. People who have hidden pride devote their attention to their own pain and cannot respond or reach out to others. If they do respond, they tend to attack those closest to them. It is possible for an individual to have both obvious and hidden pride. 

Unresolved pride leads to negative consequences

Unless we resolve the pride within our hearts, we will have difficulties in relationships with others. Pride prevents us from focusing our thoughts and desires on God and distances us from Him. It  causes God to resist us and discipline the proud, leading to dishonor and shame. The final consequence of unresolved pride is the loss of position.

Proverbs 13:10 (NKJV)

By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom.

Proverbs 28:25,26 (NKJV)

He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will be prospered.

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered.

Psalm 10:4 (NKJV)

The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.

Psalm 138:6 (NKJV)

Though the LORD is on high, yet He regards the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar.

1 Peter 5:5-7 (NKJV)

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Proverbs 16:18,19 (NKJV)

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Proverbs 18:12 (NKJV)

Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility.

Proverbs 19:23 (NKJV)

A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.

Matthew 23:12 (NKJV)

And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Proverbs 11:2 (NKJV)

When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.

Scripture teaches us to replace pride with humility

Those who are humble will gain respect, honor, and grace – special favor. Humility is focusing on loving others and caring about their needs above our own. God’s desire is to break our pride and replace it with an attitude of humility in order to conform us to the image of Christ.

Proverbs 3:34 (NKJV)

Surely, He scorns the scornful but gives grace to the humble.

1 Corinthians 13:4,5 (NKJV)

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

 

 

Philippians 2:3 (NKJV)

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

In order to resolve pride, it is necessary to understand how pride manifests itself. 

1. Begin with an honest prayer asking God to reveal if there is any obvious or hidden pride in your life.
2. In the list below there are suggested ways that pride is displayed in our lives. 
3. Put a check mark in the box next to those descriptions that you can identify with.
4. Sometimes we have blind spots. If you have a friend or spouse that knows you and loves you and that you can trust to be honest with you, invite them to mark the items on the list that they see manifested in your life at times.

The following list are from Biblical Concepts Counseling Workbook, page 63, and from page 44 of God’s Heart Call to Inner Peace page 44.  I have also edited some lines and added to the list.

1	Check	Drawing attention to my abilities or achievements
2		Refusing to give up my personal rights
3		Desiring to be recognized and appreciated
4		Feeling hurt when others succeed or are promoted and I am overlooked
5		Focusing on my needs first rather than the needs of others
6		Forcing my way, my expectations, and my desires on others (including God)
7		Being defensive when others criticize or reject me
8		Having difficulty admitting when I am wrong and apologizing
9		Viewing others as lower than myself
10		Forming opinions of others without understanding or knowing them
11		Having a self-sufficient attitude, (excluding God and others from my life)
12		Focusing on hurts and painful circumstances (self-pity), rather than seeking healing in Christ
13		Attempting to control others (what they do, say, feel, or think) for my  needs
14		Using others for my personal advantage
15		Choosing to live my life contrary to God’s guidelines and directions
16		Refusing to give up personal rights
17		Talking more often about myself when conversing with others
18		Performing in order to get the approval of others (including God)
19		Overly concerned about what others say or think of me
20		Relying on my knowledge, experience, and abilities; dismissing the perspectives of others
21		Pointing out the failures of others; having a crica, judgmental spirit
22		Letting others know that I can do things better
23		Putting others down to make myself look and feel better
24		Wanting to win arguments
25		Overly sensitive and easily offended
26		Exaggerating facts to make myself look hood or better
27		Focusing  primarily on my interests, goals, and plans, rather than also listing to others
28		Having difficulty sharing my needs or struggles with others
29		Serving others with an inner attitude of resentment
30		Feeling sorry for myself when I don’t feel appreciated
31		Refusing to give up personal rights when there is a genuine need to be met around me
32		Blaming others for their failures.
33		Comparing myself with others to determine if I am “OK” or acceptable or good enough
34		Basing my value on my job title, education degree, possessions, or status in society
35		Other: What God may bring to your mind

 

Moving From Pride to Humility

1. When we have identified evidence of pride in our lives, we need to be honest with God and ourselves and admit our need for healing and growth. For apart from Him we can do nothing good.
2. Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you” John 15:12. We can’t love others unselfishly until we have embraced the unpleasant truth about ourselves and recognize our need for a Savior.
   1. Apart from Jesus we can do nothing good. John 15:5.
   2. We are by nature children of wrath. Ephesians 2:3.
   3. In Revelation 3:17, Jesus describes our sinful nature in very negative ways: wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. 
3. When we understand the bad news, we will recognize our great need for the good news. The good news is that Jesus loved us, justified us, and reconciled us to God when we were helpless, ungodly, sinners, and enemies.  This love humbles us and leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). Repentance is a choice to let Jesus come into our lives and transform us. 
4. Since Jesus “gave His life a ransom for all” (1 Tim. 2;5,6), we can see every human being as equally wretched and equally redeemed. We can then focus on being  “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor.  5:20). We can help others see the incredible good news of God’s unconditional love for us and invite them to be reconciled to God. 
5. We can accept the mission Jesus gave us: Ambassadors to invite others to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:19,20).  In Christ, we all are loved, forgiven, adopted, and justified, with the freedom to choose to surrender our lives to God and live for His glory,  or live the life of selfishness that leads to pain and broken relationships.  
6. When our security is in Christ:
   1. We can let go of our prideful attempts to try to make ourselves look good so God and others will accept us. 
   2. We can find healing from the guilt and shame resulting from our sin
   3. We can experience healing from the pain caused by abusive actions from others.
   4. We will also be able to truly love others as Jesus has loved us. 

The following is a poem I wrote entitled, “There’s Always Room To Grow.” It is loosely connected to the fruit the Holy Spirit will produce in our lives when we abide in Jesus and let Him abide in us (See Galatians 5:22,23 and John 15:4,5). While the words humble and humility are not mentioned in Galatians 5:22,23, the combined fruits will lead to a life of loving service, which is what healthy humility looks like.

                 There’s Always Room To Grow

 

When Jesus came to live on earth To show us how to love; He taught us there's a better way- To live for God above.   He loves us freely as we are, But wants us all to know, There's so much more  He's planned for us,  There's always room to grow.   Be wise enough to realize You still have much to learn; Mature enough to understand, Respect and trust are earned.   Prayerful enough to follow truth In a world of sin and fraud; Humble enough to recognize, Your constant need for God.   Thankful enough to appreciate All that the Lord has done Thoughtful enough to share His love With each and everyone.   Caring enough to listen  to understand each other; Seeing everyone, in Christ, As your sister or your brother.

Treating others in the way You would want them treating you; Loving one another  Just as Jesus has loved you.   Loving enough to look beyond Their faults and see their need; Secure enough to give what’s best And not give in to greed.   Content enough with who you are And what the Lord can do To bless the ones around you With the gifts He's given you.    Joyful enough so others will Enjoy you being near; Trusting enough in Jesus, So His love may cast out fear.   Be patient with your family, Yourself and others too; Accept and give forgiveness, For God has forgiven you.

 

~ Clinton Meharry