Lesson 11 of 30:Pride Isn’t Arrogance, It’s Self-Reliance

Pride is sneaky. For a long time, I thought pride only looked like arrogance, boasting, or thinking you were better than others. But the Lord had to show me that pride has another face. Pride is not just arrogance. Pride is self-reliance. And after pride comes a mighty fall.

I will never forget the day God revealed to me that I had pride in me. I was driving when He whispered it, and the words pierced so sharply that I almost lost control of the car. My hands gripped the wheel tighter, my heart dropped, and tears filled my eyes. I remember gasping out loud, “Me, Lord? Prideful?”. In this life of surrender to Christ, my heart has been postured to daily repentance, but for some reason, pride was something i found hard to admit I struggled with.

I despised prideful people. I could not stand arrogance in others. To me, pride was ugly, loud, and obvious. But God was showing me something deeper. Many times, what we despise most in others is actually a reflection of something we struggle with ourselves. Sometimes it is a part of us we have not yet healed. Other times, it is a version of ourselves we overcame but never forgave ourselves for being. And so when we see it in someone else, it offends us deeply.

In that moment, God showed me that my pride was not arrogance toward others, but self-reliance within myself. I thought if I worked harder, studied longer, or pushed myself further, I could control the outcome. I relied on my abilities, my intellect, my planning, my own resilience. On the outside, it may have looked like diligence. But inside, it was pride, because in my heart, was depending on me instead of depending on God.

The truth is, self-reliance is a refusal to lean fully on God. It says, “I’ve got this,” when in reality we don’t. Scripture tells us plainly:

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

- Proverbs 16:18

And we see it over and over again in the Bible. Nebuchadnezzar boasted in his power, only to be humbled until he acknowledged that God rules over the kingdoms of men. Peter declared he would never deny Christ, relying on his own strength, and before the rooster crowed, he had denied Him three times. Pride always sets us up for a fall because it puts us on a throne that only God deserves to sit on.

I know this lesson firsthand. When I tried to carry my callings in my strength, I broke under the weight. When I leaned on my own understanding, I made choices that delayed my progress. But when I surrendered and let God be God, He lifted me up.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

-Proverbs 3:5–6

Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is considering God's strength, ability and faithfulness more. It is admitting you cannot do it without Him. It is dependence on God for every step, every breath, every victory.

Conclusion

For my 30’s, I choose humility over self-reliance. I choose to admit my need for God and lean into His strength instead of my own. Because pride will always end in a fall, but humility will always lift me into His promise.

Now that you know, let’s grow,

– Kimrose🌹