Free of Pride (Humility Month: Part 4)

In the same way, I’m speaking to you who are younger. Follow the lead of those who are older. All of you, put on a spirit free of pride toward one another. Put it on as if it were your clothes. Do this because Scripture says,

“God opposes those who are proud.
But he gives grace to those who are humble.” (Proverbs 3:34)

So make yourselves humble. Put yourselves under God’s mighty hand. Then he will honor you at the right time. Turn all your worries over to him. He cares about you. 1 Peter 5:5-7 (NIRV)

 

So how has Humility Month gone for you? Learn anything?

What I am finding as I continue to look into the topic of humility is that most of what I am learning is stuff I already knew at some level. Still, it makes a difference as an adult to revisit some of the things you have known since childhood. Here are some of the things I have been thinking about this week.

Respect Your Elders

When I was a kid, this always sounded like an intimidation tactic to me, akin to ‟Because I said so!” What I have learned as an adult is that it is possible to disagree with someone yet still respect them as humans.

Experience comes from living long enough to make your own mistakes and correct them. Wisdom comes from observing other people’s mistakes and avoiding them.

Some older people have more wisdom than others, but ALL of them have more experience than the young.

This is what makes young know-it-alls so insufferable. A posture of humility involves being teachable. By contrast, stupidity stunts your character growth.

If you give yourself room to grow, God will take that opportunity to help you do so. On the other hand, if you shut yourself off from wisdom, both from God directly and from your elders, you will shrivel like a plant that needs repotting.

How God Rewards Humility

It’s not always how we think it ought to be. We are conditioned by life to think that if we do the right thing in the right way, we will earn some sort of a prize.

Well, we do, but sometimes it’s not the one we were expecting.

When I wept in my soul with fasting,
It became my disgrace.
 When I made sackcloth my clothing,
I became a proverb to them.
 Those who sit in the gate talk about me,
And songs of mockery by those habitually drunk are about me. Psalm 69:10-12 (NASB)

Even though it is pride that is disgraceful, those who have made an idol of it see things backwards. Instead, they heap disgrace upon those who are actually humbling themselves.

But really, why should we be surprised at this? After all, our model is Jesus, who in the ultimate act of humility, set aside the glory of heaven to come down here and endure this:

When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left…The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” A sign was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”

One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” Luke 23:33, 35-39 (NLT)

 

It is critical to remember that difficult circumstances are not the end. There is always a payoff to an act of humility, but part of the humility is surrendering not only to God’s wisdom, but also His timing.

Also, remember that when you are at rock bottom, the only place to look is up, and God’s response is always the same. Look at the quote two paragraphs up again. This is what happened next:

But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:40-43 (NLT)

Humility helped the second criminal see the truth of their situation, and to submit to Jesus’ authority even as Jesus Himself hung on a cross right next to him. As a result, Jesus promised the man that he would be lifted up, even as Jesus Himself was going to be in just a few days.

Remember your place, and God will give you a better one.

But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].” So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you. Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people]. Be miserable and grieve and weep [over your sin]. Let your [foolish] laughter be turned to mourning and your [reckless] joy to gloom. Humble yourselves [with an attitude of repentance and insignificance] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up, He will give you purpose]. James 4:6-10 (AMP)

Note that both Peter and James have quoted Proverbs 3:34. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. With the grace comes power and joy through the Holy Spirit.

On the other hand, pride is considered self-righteousness. A more common way of saying that in the current vernacular is ‟good without God.” Yeah. Let me know how that works out for you.

God wants us to get off the fence and stop wading in the shallow end of our faith. He wants us to get real about our true nature so that He can effectively let us share in His.

God is God, and we are not. It is only when we cast off pride and recognize how pathetically we fail to measure up to his standard that He lifts us up and gives us the honor we did not earn and do not deserve—the right to be called children of God.

(Thanks for joining me in this celebration of Humility Month. I have something extra special in the works for next year! Meanwhile, please click on the Free Newsletter link to find out what I have planned for July.)