Genuine Thoughts on Humility

James 4:10 - “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

‭‭James‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

It’s easy to be humble when you’re a novice. When nobody knows who you are, when you are just starting out in a field, when you’ve gone for your first interview.

However, when you become an expert that’s when you’ve got to watch out because it’s easy for pride to seep in.

Now everyone is coming to you for advice, expertise.

True Humility is tested when men start to sing your praises!

But GOD is still an exalter of the humble.

He hates pride and opposes it.

Whenever I find myself stagnant in life, I ask myself, is God opposing me?

Is this season to humble me, to kill the pride in me?

Because when things are going well for you, it’s easy to become puffed up.

Nothing humbles you more than delay and stagnation.

You begin to question yourself, have I really got what it takes?

Which leads you back to total dependence on God.

I remember turning 29 and I really wanted to become independent, I believed that it was time! Boy was I tested, that year I got the job I really wanted and began making the most money I’ve ever made, only to get diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome a few weeks later which affected the mobility in my hands.

Boy was I humbled, I felt utterly helpless, not knowing when I would recover. I couldn’t believe that this would happen to me. It was definitely a shock to my system and I learned in that season I would have to not only depend on God for my healing but on my friends and family to support me.

Incredibly humbling, I had to take time off work, use a splint and my mother had to help me to button my shirts. Gym stopped. Driving lessons stopped.

There goes my independence.

The truth is God does not want us to live independent from Him. That was not his plan from the beginning, we were to walk with Him and trust in Him for provision.

The world values independence so much but Gods ways are not our ways. His way is a life of dependence and trust, even in the midst of uncertainty.

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”

‭‭James‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬-‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

This verse is truly humbling because it reminds us that we should not go about boasting about our plans. We do not have control over our lives, whether we like it or not.

I remember having reoccurring dreams of me driving a car and driving so poorly, I was ignoring all the laws of the road and ended up crashing.

I believe this was a warning from the Lord about the direction I was heading in and my need for control.

JESUS take the WHEEL! Literally!

I still struggle with not being in control of my life. The world tells me that I’m in charge on my destiny, but Gods word reminds me He is the author and finisher of my faith.

Thank you Jesus, that even my faith does not depend on me!

The reality is control and the appearance of having it all together feeds our flesh, it feeds the ego, but asking for help and admitting our faults is what keeps us humble.

I’ll be the first to admit that I have made perfection an idol in my walk with God. So whenever I mess up, it hits me HARD because I have believed the lie that my righteousness is of me, rather than a gift of God.

Gods word tells me that in my weaknesses He is strong, which reminds me to take the focus of myself and return my gaze to HIM.

We can never have it all together, no matter how it seems on the outside, we are flawed humans being perfected by Gods grace and it takes humility to accept the grace of God.

The truth is we are NOTHING without God. The reminder that our lives are but a vapour, literally points to the fact that each of us are an extension of Gods breath, when He decides to inhale we will cease to be.

I hope this posts encourages you to abandon pride and seek humility, for it yields great rewards.