26/12/2025
Blessed by Grace, Not by Pride
One of the most subtle and dangerous struggles of the human heart is pride—especially spiritual pride. Many people believe they are blessed because they are obedient, moral, or righteous in their own way. They begin to think that God’s favor is a reward they have earned rather than a gift they have received.
This mindset quietly shifts the focus from God’s grace to human effort.
The Illusion of Self-Righteousness
Obedience to God is good. Living righteously matters. But when obedience becomes a reason to boast, it stops being worship and starts becoming self-glorification. Some people look at their good behavior, their religious discipline, or their moral standards and conclude, “God has blessed me because I deserve it.”
This way of thinking creates comparison:
I obey more than others.
I pray more than others.
I am more faithful than others.
Pride grows where comparison lives.
Grace Is Not Earned
The truth is uncomfortable for human pride: no one earns God’s grace. Blessings do not flow because we are perfect, but because God is merciful. Even our ability to obey God comes from Him. Without His grace, we could not stand, believe, or remain faithful.
When people fail to recognize this, they unknowingly replace gratitude with entitlement.
Grace says:
I am blessed though I am imperfect.
Pride says:
I am blessed because I am better.
When Pride Blocks Grace
Spiritual pride blinds us. It makes us judge others harshly, lack compassion, and forget where we came from. It builds a wall between us and God because pride resists dependence. A proud heart does not ask for mercy—it assumes approval.
But God’s grace flows freely to the humble, not to those who believe they have already earned His favor.
A Call Back to Humility
True righteousness does not boast. It bows. It recognizes that every blessing—spiritual or physical—is a result of God’s goodness, not human achievement. When we remember this, obedience becomes an act of love, not a badge of superiority.
The question we should ask ourselves is not:
“How righteous am I compared to others?”
But rather:
“Do I recognize that everything I have is by the grace of God?”
Conclusion
We are not blessed because we are obedient.
We are obedient because we are blessed.
God’s grace comes first—always. When we truly understand that, pride fades, gratitude grows, and our relationship with God becomes deeper, more honest, and more humble.
"But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."-James 4:6