False Humility Is Still Pride

One of the greatest lessons God has been teaching me recently has nothing to do with becoming more confident in myself.

It has everything to do with becoming more confident in who He says I am.

For years, I believed that staying in the background was humility.

I was uncomfortable being seen. I struggled to share what God was placing on my heart. Every time I stepped forward, I worried people would think I was trying to draw attention to myself.

I thought that was humility.

But God began revealing something that completely changed my perspective.

The pride I was struggling with wasn't the pride of thinking too highly of myself.

It was the pride of believing my own opinion over His.

I had convinced myself that I wasn't good enough.

That I was too broken.

That I wasn't important.

That I didn't have anything valuable to offer.

Those thoughts sounded humble, but they all had one thing in common.

They were still centered on me.

Instead of believing what God had spoken, I was trusting my own feelings, my past experiences, and the opinions of others more than His Word.

Scripture tells us that we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:10).

It tells us we are His children.

His ambassadors.

His workmanship.

His temple.

If God says those things are true, then who am I to argue with Him?

Obedience Often Looks Like Pride to Those Who Don't Understand

As God has been calling me to step out more—to teach, write, create videos, and simply allow myself to be seen—I have discovered something difficult.

Not everyone understands obedience.

Some people have accused me of becoming prideful.

Others have questioned my motives.

Those words hurt.

But God has used those moments to strengthen my faith.

Every accusation forces me to answer one question:

Whose voice will I believe?

The opinions of people...

Or the truth of God?

Confidence in God's calling is not arrogance.

It's obedience.

Moses probably looked arrogant when he stood before Pharaoh.

David probably looked arrogant when he walked toward Goliath.

Noah probably looked foolish building an ark before it had ever rained.

Every act of obedience can be misunderstood by those who don't know what God has spoken.

We Often See Through the Lens of Our Own Hearts

This journey has also taught me another important lesson.

We rarely see things exactly as they are.

We often see them through the condition of our own hearts.

Someone who constantly seeks recognition may assume everyone else is seeking recognition.

Someone controlled by fear may see fear everywhere.

Someone who struggles with selfish ambition may assume selfish ambition is motivating everyone else.

Likewise, a heart that has been transformed by Christ begins to recognize humility, faithfulness, repentance, and genuine love more clearly.

This is why Jesus said,

"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." (John 7:24, KJV)

Righteous judgment doesn't jump to conclusions.

It seeks truth.

It examines fruit.

It listens before it labels.

It recognizes that only God fully knows the motives of a person's heart.

God Is Teaching Me to Agree With Him

I don't fully see myself the way God sees me yet.

I'm still learning.

I'm still growing.

But I know this much.

If God says He can use me...

Then He can.

If God says I have value...

Then I do.

If God says He has prepared good works for me...

Then I want to walk in them.

That isn't pride.

That's faith.

Real humility isn't thinking less of yourself.

It isn't pretending you have no gifts.

It isn't hiding because you're afraid of what people might think.

Real humility is agreeing with God.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

As believers, we should never strive to become confident in ourselves.

We should strive to become so confident in Christ that our identity, our calling, and our obedience are no longer determined by the opinions of people, but by the truth of the One who created us.

When God speaks, our responsibility is not to make ourselves smaller.

Our responsibility is to believe Him.

Pastor Scott