But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:6-7 ESV)
The Greek for humble, tapeinós, is best described as being God-reliant rather than self-reliant. Humility and pride are polar opposites and will have exceptionally different impacts in our lives. Before we talk more about where humility and pride lead, I think it is important to note that God actively opposes the proud. Is it any wonder that pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall? (Proverbs 16:18)
Thinking about our description of humility, do you find yourself relying more on God or more on yourself? Is prayer a first response or a last resort? One quick way to gauge this is to honestly take a look at the important decisions you’ve made over the last year and consider this: did you pray and seek God’s will before making those decisions? I find that often we only seek God’s assistance when our plans go wrong rather than seeking His will before making those decisions. I can’t help but think, how many times do we experience pain, frustration, anxiety, and failure because we thought we could rely on ourselves or others instead of trusting and seeking God first.
I’ve heard it said that humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less. When we humble ourselves before God, He gives us grace. I think it’s important to pause today and remember what grace is. Grace is God’s riches at Christ’s expense. Grace is God’s unmerited, undeserved, unearned favor and blessing in our lives. How different might our lives be if before making decisions, we not only think about God, but we honestly and intentionally seek His guidance, wisdom and help?
In our American society, there is an incredible emphasis on being self-sufficient, self-sustaining, independent, and strong. We see weakness as something that isn’t attractive and something we avoid. We often try to appear stronger, smarter, and better off than we are. We avoid appearing weak or in need, often at extraordinary costs. I once heard a story about a family who had an exceptionally beautiful home, a perfectly manicured lawn, and a façade that made the neighbors jealous. Inside the home though, rooms sat empty with no furniture and none of the comforts of home because they couldn’t afford both.
Question… are you afraid to admit your own weakness? As long as you are running from admitting what God already knows, you’ll be running from the grace you could experience if you would humble yourself before Him. In 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 Paul writes this: Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Have you learned to rest in the fully sufficient grace of Jesus? Have you learned to come to Him in your weakness so that His strength may be made perfect?
So, humility leads us deeper into the presence of God. Where does pride lead? Destruction. Separation. Frustration. Desperation. It’s past time to stop trying to figure out how to do life on your own and instead turn to the Author of Life. It’s time to stop trying to save your marriage in your own power or by the worldly wisdom of those around you, and time to start seeking God’s wisdom and power to heal. It’s time to stop trying to walk away from your addictions on your own and instead time to admit what you and God already know: you can’t do this on your own. It’s time to stop being proud, arrogant, and stubborn and time to cry out to God humbly, honestly, and intentionally.
It is when you humbly submit to God that He gives you the power to resist Satan. You can’t defeat Satan in your own power. You can’t drive the Devil from your home or relationships by your own power or some special prayer. But, if you would cry out to the God of impossible and humble yourself before the Lord, you will see mountains cast into the sea. Are you ready to admit your daily need for God?
Father, I come before You and confess there are times where I try to figure it out on my own. Lord, often I don’t seek Your face before I make decisions and I often find myself regretting that later. Today I pray You would help me to intentionally humble myself before You. Help me not stubbornly continue down the paths of pride but instead turn in my weakness to You. Thank You that Your grace is sufficient for me. Thank You that Your strength is made perfect in my weakness. I pray all this in Jesus’ name, amen.
