Daniel 4:29-30, “As Nebuchadnezzar was walking about the royal palace of Babylon, he said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?”

There may not be a better example of pride in the Bible than the two verses just referenced. King Nebuchadnezzar was full of himself. In effect, he said, “I have built this great city of Babylon, and I am in control. I am better than others and work harder. Look at how smart I am. Others owe me honor and glory.”

The amazing thing is that Daniel had warned him earlier in this same chapter what would happen to him if he didn’t give up his sinful pride, but Nebuchadnezzar didn’t listen. And so, for seven years, this great king lived like a wild animal eating grass.

Through the years, I have seen out-of-control pride have devastating effects. Pride is so dangerous because we all want a sense of accomplishment. We want to know that our lives matter. The tipping point as to when and where it goes too far is often not easy to see. The key is to acknowledge God in what we accomplish. He is the one who gives us life; He is the one who opens doors of opportunity for us; He is the one who gives us wisdom and the ability to do what we do.

The cure for pride is remembering that Jesus came to serve, and He expects us to have a servant’s heart as well.