Luke 18:14 – 'For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.'Romans 6:6 – 'For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.'
Psalm 51:17 – 'My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.'
Pride dies hard. It doesn’t go quietly into the night; it claws and screams, fighting for survival. Pride whispers, 'You’re strong enough. You don’t need help. Don’t let them see you weak.' But beneath that voice is fear—fear of losing control, fear of being nothing, fear of surrendering to a God who asks for everything.
Romans says your old self was crucified with Christ, but most of us climb back off the cross and try to live half-surrendered. We want salvation without sacrifice, blessing without breaking. But Jesus doesn’t call us to a partial death; He calls us to a funeral of pride, a complete burial of self where only His life remains.
This death isn’t sterile or pretty—it’s bloody, painful, and raw. It means facing the ugliest parts of yourself, naming them before God, and allowing His Spirit to burn away every trace of arrogance. But on the other side of that grave is resurrection. Real humility isn’t humiliation; it’s true exaltation—being
lifted up by God, not by your own hands.
Write a list of ways pride shows up in your life—defensiveness, stubbornness, refusing help, needing to be right. Take that paper, tear it into pieces, and throw it away as a physical sign that pride is being buried with Christ.
Pride to Dust
Verse 1:I built my throne on shifting sand
Holding power in my hands
But Your cross exposed my lies
Showed me where my old self dies
Chorus:
Turn my pride to dust and ashes
Raise me up where mercy clashes
With my chains and sets me free
Jesus, live Your life in me
Verse 2:
Every crown I thought I’d earned
To the fire now must burn
What remains is only grace
As I see Your holy face
Bridge:
Let my knees hit the ground
Till Your glory is my crown
Lord, pride has had its hooks in me for too long. I’ve wanted to look strong, sound wise, and be in control of my life. But that’s not life—that’s slavery to my own ego. Today, I choose to die to pride. Crucify my old self once and for all. Break every chain of arrogance, fear, and self-reliance. Raise up in me a spirit that depends only on You, that walks in humility and obedience. Amen.