Jesus knew that many people were confident of their own self righteousness and looked down on everybody else.  So He told a parable about two men who went to the temple to pray.  One was a Pharisee and the other was a Tax Collector.  Pharisees were Jews who observed many extra "laws".  Tax Collectors were regarded by the Pharisees and religious leaders as "sinners".

The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself, "God, I thank you that I am not like other men, who are robbers, who are evildoers, who are untrue to their wives, or even like this Tax Collector!  I fast (go without food) twice a week and I give a tenth of all I get."

But the Tax Collector stood at a distance and would not even look up to Heaven, but beat his breast and said, "God, have mercy on me, for I am a sinner."

Jesus said, "I tell you that the Tax Collector went back to his house with justified (just as if he had never sinned, with God's approval), but not the other.  For everyone who makes himself great will be humbled (made low), and whoever humbles himself will be exalted (made high).

At this time, people were also bringing babies and young children to Jesus to have Him lay His hands on them and bless them.  When the disciples saw this, they rebuked the people.

But Jesus called the children to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

Proud people are puffed up people who are full of themselves and their own importance.  God would not accept the Pharisee's prayer for this reason.  The Pharisee never realised that there is nothing we can do to make ourselves right in the eyes of God.

When Jesus blessed the children, He showed that we need to be humble like a little child when we speak to God.  To be humble means to be modest and not to think too highly about yourself.  It is only by confessing that we are sinners like the Tax Collector, and then asking for God's forgiveness and grace (unmerited favour), that can we be be made right in God's eyes.

When you ask Jesus to come into your heart, He changes you inside so that you want to love and serve Him.  And being humble makes us useable and mouldable so that God can use us in His work.

I hope you will be humble and ask God to use you in His work to reach out and bless other people, so that many will come to Jesus and accept Him as their Lord and Saviour!

God bless.