BE HUMBLE

Wednesday – September 21, 2022

Posted

“Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD's anger.” – Zephaniah 2:3

In 2006, thousands of American college students filled out a survey. They weren’t told what it was, but it was actually the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), a psychological evaluation that asks for responses to statements such as “I am an extraordinary person,” “I am more capable than other people,” Everybody likes to hear my stories,” and “If I ruled the world it would be a better place.”

The NPI has been given to college students for several decades. By looking at the change in responses over time, a recent study shows a 30 percent increase in narcissism over the last thirty years. Even more striking, in the 1950s, 12 percent of teens agreed with the statement “I am an important person.” In the 1980s, just thirty years later, 80 percent of teens agreed with that same statement. By our own reckoning, we live in an increasingly self-centered world. We need to seek humility.

Are you a humble person, or do you wrestle with pride? Today in prayer, seek the Lord with all of your heart and seek to be humble in all that you do.

“He who knows himself best esteems himself least.” – H.G. Brown

God’s Word: “Young men, in the same way, be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” – 1 Peter 5:5