The Obstacle to Humility       Unlike worldly success, greatness in God's eyes does not correspond to applause or awards. Mature Christians are in a continuous process of being conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ, who chose to serve rather than be served. (Matthew 20:28) As we grow in the Lord, our perspective changes. God develops within us a Christlike perspective that results in a refusal to see oneself as more important than others. Jesus taught that "whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted" (Matthew 23:12). When we are humble, exaltation will come to us from God's hand rather than from our own.       Of course, there are many obstacles to humility. Pride is the most obvious barrier, yet it is not always easy to detect in oneself. Arrogance is deceitful; it is common for a self-important person not to realize his own problem, although other people usually recognize it with no difficulty. A conceited individual may actually give the appearance of humility through his outward actions while inwardly harboring thoughts of spiritual superiority toward others.       Pridefulness, which originated with the Enemy (Isaiah 14:13-14), always leads to rebellion because it assumes that we know better than God how to direct our life. While we may not directly challenge Him, the subtle effects of pride may cause us to ignore the Lord's leading and depend instead upon carnal intuition.          Pride is not fitting for a child of God. Proverbs 6:16, which clearly tells us that such an attitude is detestable to the Lord, mentions "haughty eyes" first in a list of seven abominable sins. Why would God regard this transgression as more offensive than any other? The reason is that an air of egotism says, "I do not need the Lord." Every other sin violates the laws of God, but pride is rebellion against God Himself—against His sovereignty and His very being. It is also the root cause of all other sins. John, the apostle, tells us that "the boastful pride of life is not from the Father, but is from the world" (1 John 2:16).       God desires our dependence upon Him, because He knows that relying on His omnipotence and omniscience is in our best interest. He also knows that overconfident self-sufficiency ultimately means our self-destruction. Guard against elevating yourself. With the Holy Spirit's help, put on humility (Colossians 3:12), and allow God to be the One to exalt you.