Humble Yourself

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” – James 4:6 (NIV)

This is probably one of the hardest things to do. It is also probably the last thing that we would remind ourselves about in daily living. We can take pride in almost everything we do, our jobs, possessions, heritage, talents, social networks and even children’s achievements. We compare ourselves against the “have nots” or “lesser beings” and feel good and comforted that we are not in their shoes. If we are not careful, we may even forget God and start to believe that we have attained everything solely through our own hard work and determination. God’s Word reminds us that such thinking signals the path to downfall. His promise is clear. If we humble ourselves and pray and turn from our wicked ways, He will hear us, forgive our sins and heal our land.

What does God say about this?

Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.

Proverbs 29:23 (NIV)

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

Romans 12:3 (NIV)

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

1 Peter 5:6 (NIV)

What does this mean for practical living?

God has promised great things to the humble. He will give them favour. He will lift them up. He will give them wisdom, riches, honour and life. Are all these not the things we desire in our lives? God’s game rule has been clearly laid out. We ignore it to our own peril. Humility is not an in-built mechanism in our lives. In fact, the exact opposite is true. Because of sin, pride has crept in to fill our lives. Pride is the enemy of humility. It was pride that caused Satan to rebel against God because he wanted to be God! We need to guard our hearts and minds against being proud, especially when success in life is viewed through a worldly lens.

Make no mistake: Pride destroys both the rich and poor. The better endowed people may be proud because they have better-paying jobs, great job titles, better education, more assets and higher social status. The less privileged ones may also be proud because they think they can endure hardship and are more resilient in life. Regardless, all of us are equal in the eyes of God. We need to bow before God, knowing that unless we abide in Him, we are nothing, have nothing and cannot do anything that is pleasing to Him.

Reflect and respond to God’s Word

• Recall an experience when you acted proudly. What was the outcome?
• Make a list of things that make you feel proud when compared to other people. Lay it before God and seek His forgiveness for your pride.
• Take action to change a specific “proud” behaviour to demonstrate humility. Keep at it until the change is permanent.