The Encouragement Offensive: Outdoing Others in Honor is a spiritual discipline that strikes at the heart of pride. The proud heart resists this practice because it requires a posture of lowliness, of dependence, of self-forgetfulness — everything that pride despises. Yet Scripture consistently calls us to this very posture.

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." — James 4:6
This verse, quoted from Proverbs 3:34, is one of the most repeated truths in Scripture. It appears in James, in 1 Peter, and its echo runs through the entire biblical narrative. If we want more of God's grace — and we desperately need it — we must learn the practices that cultivate humility.

Why This Practice Matters

Pride is not merely an attitude; it is a habit. Like any habit, it is reinforced by repetition and weakened by neglect. The spiritual disciplines of humility are the "neglect" side of the equation — they starve pride of the conditions it needs to thrive. When we practice the encouragement offensive, we are deliberately choosing a path that feels unnatural to our fallen nature. The flesh screams against it. But the Spirit empowers it. Paul describes this internal war in Galatians 5:17:

"For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do."
Every act of humility is a vote for the Spirit against the flesh. Over time, these votes accumulate into a transformed character.

The Biblical Foundation

Jesus is our ultimate model. Philippians 2:5-8 describes the trajectory of His humility: though He was in the form of God, He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant. This is the pattern we are called to follow — not grasping, but releasing; not climbing, but descending.

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant." — Philippians 2:5-7
Every humility exercise is an opportunity to practice this Christlike mind — to empty ourselves of the need to be recognized, to be right, to be first, and instead to take the form of a servant.

Practical Steps

Begin by acknowledging your resistance. Do not pretend this is easy. Tell God honestly: "I do not want to do this. My pride rebels against it. But I want to want to. Help my unwillingness." This honest prayer is itself an act of humility. Then take one small, concrete step. Do not try to overhaul your entire character in a day. Choose one specific action, do it, and reflect on what you learn. The goal is not perfection but progress — a slow, steady reorientation of the heart away from self and toward God and others. As you practice, you will begin to notice the quiet fruit of humility: peace, contentment, deeper relationships, and a sweeter sense of God's presence.

This Week's Exercise

This week, commit to practicing the encouragement offensive every day for seven days. Set a specific time and place. Tell one trusted person what you are doing so they can encourage you. Keep a brief journal entry each evening recording what you did, how it felt, and what you learned. At the end of the week, review your entries and ask God to show you how He has been at work in your heart through this practice. Share one insight with your accountability partner or small group.