“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6) The Word of God calls us to a life of humility. Humility is a virtue that is urged upon us practically everywhere in the Bible. The only person God will accept and use is the one who has the right attitude before Him. The call to be humble may well be the hardest command in the Bible. And the reason, obviously, is that humility is so very contrary to our selfish natures.

            It is important, however, that we understand the paramount importance of humility, for the testimony of Scripture throughout is that God, as James says, “resists the proud.” You cannot be the friend of God if you are arrogant or haughty or full of pride. God will resist you and His presence will be taken from you. Why is this so? Because there is only one God and He will share His glory with no one. When we seek to glorify self, we are proud. Only humility will cause us to seek God’s glory only. Only one can be the focus of attention, the object of desire, and this must be God. The spotlight must be on Him—He must get the glory. He is God and we are sinners. This is His story! Pride keeps self in that central position of our lives that only God should occupy. Humility, then, is far more than just one of many “Christian graces.” It is actually the key to having God in your life at all. That is, humility is the only attitude that makes appropriate room for God in our lives.

            But here is our problem: By nature we are not humble. We are full of selfishness and pride. How then can we manifest humility before God and others? By remembering the humility of Jesus! Remember that Jesus has already been humble for you. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt 11:29). “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45). Christ is our humility. The only true humility that you will ever have is that which comes to you from Him. Have faith in Christ’s humility, the humility that He exemplified in both His life and His death. Have faith that what He did, He did for you, in your place and on your behalf. Affirm to yourself daily that “what was true of Him is true of Me—for I am in Him!” Arrogance, pride, and selfishness cannot exist where there is continual faith in the person and work of Christ. 

            Humble yourself before God. As His child, if you do not humble yourself, God’s discipline may come to you. He is capable of humbling those who will not do so themselves. David knew that “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise.” (Ps. 51:17). But he learned it the hard way. Look to the cross and trust in what Christ did for you. “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:10). 

Bryan Dunaway

Grace and Peace Ministries

www.gandpministries.org