I remember my first leadership role in the Army, taking command of a team in Iraq. I was "the guy with all the answers"—or at least, that’s what I thought I needed to be. I felt the pressure to know everything, even when I didn’t. Instead of admitting my lack of knowledge, I would fake it, sometimes giving false information to maintain the facade of being in control. Looking back, I cringe at my “young man thinking.” Pretending to know everything didn’t make me look competent; it revealed my pride and insecurity.
Have you ever felt like you needed to have all the answers?
Here’s the truth: you don’t have to have all the answers. In fact, you can’t. That’s a freeing reality if you let it sink in.
I witnessed this lesson play out a few years ago during a debate at a college in Orlando. It was a room full of students, and I was debating Christianity with a professor—a self-proclaimed intellectual and atheist. During his argument, he said, “I don’t see how anyone could believe in a God they’ve never seen, heard, or proven exists.” After listening to him, I responded with a simple illustration.
I drew a large circle on the whiteboard and said, “This circle represents all the knowledge in the universe. Show me how much of that you personally know.” He shaded in about 15-20%. I then pointed to the remaining 80-85% and asked, “Is it possible that the God I believe in exists somewhere in the part of the universe you haven’t discovered yet?”
He was silent.
The professor’s pride kept him from considering the possibility of God. But his story isn’t unique. Pride does the same thing to all of us. It convinces us that we must be right, that we must have all the answers, and that admitting otherwise is a sign of weakness.
The Problem with Pride
Pride is the enemy of surrender. It whispers, “You can do this on your own. You don’t need help. You must appear strong.” But God calls us to something radically different: Humility.
Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Pride leads to mistakes, broken relationships, and stress because it puts us at the center of the universe—a role we were never meant to fill.
Jesus Himself modeled perfect humility. Philippians 2:6-8 says:
“Though He was in the form of God, [Jesus] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
If Jesus, the all-knowing, all-powerful Son of God, could humble Himself and surrender His will to the Father, how much more should we?
The Freedom of Surrender
Letting go of pride means admitting that we need God’s wisdom more than our own. James 4:6 reminds us, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” When we surrender our pride, we open the door for God’s grace to work in and through us.
Leadership is not about having all the answers. It’s about relying on the One who does. It’s freeing to say, “I don’t know, but I trust God does.” That’s not weakness; it’s strength rooted in humility.
A.W. Tozer said, “The essence of surrender is getting out of God's way so that He can do what He wants to do.” As leaders, our pride often gets in the way of God’s plans. Surrendering pride allows us to step aside and let God take the lead.
The Challenge
This week, take time to reflect on areas where pride might be holding you back. Are you afraid to admit you don’t know something? Are you pretending to have all the answers? Ask God to help you surrender that pride.
True leadership begins at the feet of Jesus. And surrendering pride is the first step. When we humble ourselves, we create space for God to guide, equip, and use us for His glory. So let go of pride and step into the freedom of trusting God’s wisdom over your own.
Because the best leaders aren’t the ones who know it all—they’re the ones who know who to follow.
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