Why God Opposes the Proud but Gives Grace to the Humble
“But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
– James 4:6
Over the years I’ve heard a lot said about humility. Some say we should “be humble,” but I can no more be humble than I can “be good.” Once we start trying to “be something” it usually involves the flesh and self-effort which is doomed to failure.
Some go into a warped kind of self-mutilation; pride in the back door. “Oh look at me I’m such a poor broken sinner and I’ve failed and…” Once we cross the line into “look at me” we’ve stumbled into pride’s home turf.
At times, humility will be forced on us. In other situations, even daily, we must choose it.
March, 2021. I’m driving to church with several of my family members. To get to church I have to drive through a neighborhood where the speed limit is 35 mph. I’m going 42. A block away from church, a police cruiser pulls up behind me and fires up his flashing red and blue lights. I pull into the church parking lot, with my police escort close behind. After we park, he walks up to me as I’m seated in the car. We have a pleasant conversation, and he writes me a ticket. $250.00, please. Now I have to do a perp walk into the church with my family. I might as well as had a dunce cap on with the word “sinner” on it. Yet, I know it’s always a good thing when pride is kept in check, so it’s okay.
This is when humility is forced on us.
Two years ago, I fly into Heathrow in the UK. We take a shuttle to the rental car agency. Normally I reserve a compact or economy car, but the sales agent informs me they’re out of those classes so he gives me a Mercedes Benz instead. I get in the Mercedes and immediately know there’s no way I can accept it. I’m going to be speaking in churches and the last thing I want is for people to think I’m another arrogant American looking for attention. I go back to the sales agent and tell him I need another car. He finds me a compact, and away we go. This is one of the many situations in life where we must choose between humility and pleasing self.
Over the years, while travelling, I’ve seen plenty of stories play out where my fellow countrymen chose to exalt self.
March 2020. Covid has just exploded and the president has closed the airports in the US to persons from other countries. While US citizens are allowed, many flights are cancelled in the confusion. Bekah and I are at Heathrow and find out that our flight is cancelled. Chaos and confusion are in the air, spiced with some panic. We get in line at the ticket counter. In front of us there is a family from the US. The father is raging at the British female ticket agent; veins bulging, face beet red. I’m embarrassed to be an American at that moment. If my flesh had its way I would have confronted the guy and told him to shut up and deal with it and that the woman had no control over the covid pandemic. But the Spirit’s way is to rest, wait, pray, and surrender. I don’t have control over how others respond. Or freak out.
A year ago, I’m in the queue in the security line at Heathrow where everyone is unloading their stuff onto a conveyor belt to be scanned. In the next line over an American lady blows like a volcano and starts yelling at one of the British security agents. I don’t know why they don’t cuff her and take her away. Or at least hit her with a tranquilizer gun. The agent yells back and it gets messier. My fellow American makes her way through security, loudly, letting everyone know how unfairly she believes she’s been treated.
Flesh on rampage is an ugly thing.
Those of us who seek to follow Christ choose the narrow path; the way of humility.
We begin with prayer, every day.
“Lord, please crucify my flesh today so I can walk in the power of your resurrection. I renounce all of my pride, selfishness, lust, judging, and fear. Please give me Your supernatural love for other people, and help me to see all of life, and people, through your eyes, including when times get hard.”
We surrender.
God is everywhere and in every circumstance, whether getting pulled over by the police at church or when a flight is cancelled when we’re in a foreign country. Or when we pick up long covid. The man or woman who chooses humility says “Lord, I will trust You no matter what happens or how difficult the journey may be. You are God and I am not. Please grant me wisdom, understanding, and discernment in every situation. I renounce all fear and anxiety.”
Oswald Chambers writes:
“It is only a faithful person who truly believes that God sovereignly controls his circumstances. We take our circumstances for granted, saying God is in control, but not really believing it. We act as if the things that happen were completely controlled by people… God may cause our circumstances to suddenly fall apart, which may bring the realization of our unfaithfulness to Him for not recognizing that He had ordained the situation. We never saw what He was trying to accomplish, and that exact event will never be repeated in our life. This is where the test of our faithfulness comes. If we will just learn to worship God even during the difficult circumstances, He will change them for the better very quickly if He so chooses…
Our Lord is dethroned more deliberately by Christian workers than by the world. We treat God as if He were a machine designed only to bless us, and we think of Jesus as just another one of the workers. The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through us.”
…Which means we must surrender to what God wants to do, no matter the cost or how painful the situation. (For an example of a painful situation, see Job 1, where he lost 7 sons and 3 daughters in one day, had his wife tell him to curse God and had to endure an hours long theological debate with his “friends.” Some people don’t know when to be quiet and listen).
When life blows up or doesn’t go our way, the test comes to see whether we will choose humility and surrender, or indulge self and the flesh. It won’t take long to see who is on throne. When a man or woman blows their volcano, pouts, complains, or tries to manipulate the situation (have fun with that) when they hit the speedbumps of life it is a clear signal that self is on throne. Pity their spouses, friends, or family members.
Confession of sin and admission of how we have hurt others is a non-negotiable in the way to humility. “I’m sorry” may be two of the most difficult words we will ever say. We all make mistakes and say things we shouldn’t, especially to our loved ones. The question is whether we will take ownership of them and make them right.
The apostle Paul shows us a mark of humility:
“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 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. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
There are many in the online Christian world who are sharing how great their ministries are while presenting their carefully manicured, polished, mask-oops- reputation. How refreshing it is when someone comes across as human by sharing their mistakes and failures as Paul modeled for us. God shines through the cracks of our lives and gives hope to others through our pain and failures. One reason we are so isolated in the church is because so many are faking it and pretending they have it all together, even while their life is coming apart. That is an exhausting way to live. How about you? Share your mistakes with anyone lately, especially online?
None of this means that we turn into nice mice or soft doormats that allow others to have at it with abusive behavior. Far from it. Jesus made a whip and cleansed the temple, twice, overturning the cash registers and kicking the salesmen out in the process. He warned us of not playing games with sin. He never backed down from the Pharisees, nor did He coddle the lukewarm. Some might confuse humility with being a mouse. Not the case – the righteous are bold as a lion (Proverbs 28:1), but we don’t tear people apart. Including on social media.
My friends, the way of humility opens the door wide to the overflowing grace of God and all His underserved, magnificent favor and blessings.
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity.”
Psalm 84:11
