Humility and Pride
As I read over the Scripture passage in James 4:7-10 for the message this morning, God drove home an important truth to my heart. He always honors humility, and He always resists people who are proud. It is so easy to act in pride or to have an attitude of pride even when we do the right thing. That is not God's way. God has a humble attitude. How do we know that? Read Philippians 2:5-11. Remember that Jesus is God, and He came to show us the Father. Jesus was the perfect picture of humility, and that is a picture of our Great God. He is All-Powerful, All-Wise, and All- Knowing, but He does not act in pride. He acts out of humble love and compassion for others, even when He has to bring punishment.
I do not want God to resist me and my efforts to do His will. I want Him to lift me up by His grace. Therefore, I must humble myself before Him and others. I must not allow pride to creep into my life or my attitude. Spiritual pride is a very bad attitude. It was the attitude of the Pharisees for whom Jesus had so many harsh warnings and admonitions. When I have to tell people they are wrong or committing sin, I do not want to have any pride in myself or have a proud attitude. I want to humbly share the truth in love, so they can see the right way and repent. I do not consider myself to have arrived spiritually. I know that I fall short of God's will for me so often. I know that without Him I could do nothing at all. It is not about me. It is all about Him.
I pray that we will see the dangers of pride and the benefits of humility. I pray that we will determine not to allow pride to take root in our lives, so God will not have to resist us. I pray that we will uproot pride and bow before the Lord in submission to Him, so He can lift us up.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Leviticus 11-12 and Matthew 26:1-25.
I do not want God to resist me and my efforts to do His will. I want Him to lift me up by His grace. Therefore, I must humble myself before Him and others. I must not allow pride to creep into my life or my attitude. Spiritual pride is a very bad attitude. It was the attitude of the Pharisees for whom Jesus had so many harsh warnings and admonitions. When I have to tell people they are wrong or committing sin, I do not want to have any pride in myself or have a proud attitude. I want to humbly share the truth in love, so they can see the right way and repent. I do not consider myself to have arrived spiritually. I know that I fall short of God's will for me so often. I know that without Him I could do nothing at all. It is not about me. It is all about Him.
I pray that we will see the dangers of pride and the benefits of humility. I pray that we will determine not to allow pride to take root in our lives, so God will not have to resist us. I pray that we will uproot pride and bow before the Lord in submission to Him, so He can lift us up.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Leviticus 11-12 and Matthew 26:1-25.