Good morning. If there is a single word that describes what is essential in our relationship with the Almighty, it is the word “humility”. It was the lack of humility that led to the downfall of Adam and Eve in the garden. The temptation was to eat the forbidden fruit, the result being that their eyes would be opened, and they would know all things, both things that were good and that which was evil. With such knowledge they would, according to the lies of the serpent, “become as God”. That was the temptation, to become an equal of God. Such a thought and plan is clearly the opposite of humility.
Satan continues to tempt us in the same way. Whenever we decide that our will is more important to us than is the will of God, humility disappears and arrogance takes over. Whenever we decide that our opinions, our interests, our own agenda is of greater importance than kindness, compassion, gentleness, and love, humility disappears, and arrogance takes over.
Christian author C.S. Lewis was, I think, quite accurate when he suggested, “Make no mistake about it: pride is the great sin. It is the devil’s most effective and destructive tool.” Mr. Lewis went on to say, “Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind…… it is Pride which has been the chief cause of misery in every nation and every family since the world began.”
In God’s Word we find that humility promises great and rewarding results. We read in 1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may lift you up,casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Humility, then, is a matter of trust. It is a matter of faith that God, in His wonderous love for us, will honor the humble heart, and will not only meet our needs but also will “lift us up”! When we are willing to humbly yield to His will, God’s promise is that we will be blessed.
Humility is not thinking less of yourself. Humility is to think accurately of yourself. The humble heart doesn’t say, “I can’t do anything.” The humble heart says, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength!” (Philippians 4:13)
Vern