Learning To Be Humble

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up" (James 4:10)

Overheard was a question asked by a monastery visitor upon meeting a young friar, "Is you monastic order one I might have heard of?" "Well," replied the friar, "we're not famous as the Jesuits are for scholarship or the Trappists for silence and prayer. However, when it comes to humility, we're the tops!"

James sandwiches that verse between vs. 4:1 "What causes fights and quarrels among you?" and vs. 4:11 "Brothers, do not slander one another." Apparently James is tackling a problem he sees happening within the Christian community. There is a coveting, wanting what is not yours, they committed murder to get what they wanted, there apparently was much infighting among some Christians. Even when they asked God for help they did it with the wrong motives therefore, received no answer. They only asked for things that would bring to them pleasure. How could this be? James gives the answer.

"You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." (James 4:4) There lies the problem  Paul helps us to understand, "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does" (2 Corinthians 10:3). John writes: "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1John 2:15). It is because we have within us as born-again believers Holy Spirit and He is jealous of us and longs for our full devotion. "Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (Proverbs 3:34; James 4:5-6).

It is easy to get caught up in the attractions of this world. Satan has controlled this world and wants nothing more than to make Christians ineffective. Some of Satan's ways are fads, that detract from humility, over-indulgence in purchases that take away time from Him and do not allow us to help the needy within our own congregations. Celebrity worship, even those who do not portray a lifestyle that God would approve. Many are the wiles and ways of Satan. How then can we receive help?

It is our move first if we are to receive any help from God. "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you" (James 4: 7-8). It is up to us to "submit', 'resist', 'come near' and when we do we have all the power of heaven at our disposal. "The Lord is full of compassion and mercy" (James 5:11b). Look deeply into your motives for what you are about to do, will it bring a positive witness for our Savior or is it just chasing after this world?  "We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him" (1 John 5: 18).

Our world needs to see Christians living the faith. When we do not all we receive from the world is rebuke. We have the message of eternal life for them and God wants us to show them Him and His Son Jesus who is the eternal life giver. "And we are in him who is true--even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life" (1 John 5:20b).

Daily Prayer:

Father please forgive me where my life has not been the witness for all that You have done for this world. I have chased after my own desires and my motives have been selfish. I know that You have eternal life and that I am Your ambassador, therefore, Lord, lead me in Your ways so that others may come to accept Your Son and His sacrifice for their sins and receive eternal life with You.                   Amen