The Humble Find Grace
Be True to Who You Are
One of the hardest things to do is admit we are wrong. It’s easier to hide our mistakes or blame someone else for our failings. The problem with that is we never experience God’s grace.
- Our first duty is to humble ourselves before God
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:10, NIV)
When God lifts us up, that is grace. He intervenes in our situation and gives us victory over the guilt and shame of our sinful ways. He crowns us with forgiveness and mercy.
Our admission of guilt, or confession, is met with God’s loving mercy because he is forgiving. He sent his Son for this very purpose, that we would be saved from the consequences of sin.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9, NIV)
2. Show humility in our actions towards others
Let’s face it. People can create stress in our lives. It’s not easy being around people who have different agendas and goals. They rarely listen and quickly jump to false conclusions. But God calls us to act in humility, not pride and anger.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:2, NIV)
This verse always gets me. I think of Jesus, who endured opposition from sinners. He was bruised and beaten, yet he maintained his composure.
When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. (1 Peter 2:23, NIV)
As someone who was recently involved in a road rage incident, I ask myself, why did I act in anger? Thankfully, no one got hurt, but that was something I deeply regret.
3. Grow in the grace of humility
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. (2 Peter 3:18, NIV)
Opportunities to humble ourselves before God and others abound. We must pay attention to bad attitudes or words spoken in anger. The most significant aid to growth is to catch ourselves when we sin and quickly bring it to God. Why do we delay? In the same way, be quick to admit failures to others.
It’s a great relief not to have to live up to some idea of perfection. It’s not like we are purposefully messing up, but being humble allows us to relax. We don’t have to project strength and competence in every situation. Sometimes, we fail despite our efforts but need not cover up or hide. We can freely admit our shortcomings and move on.
I used to be devastated by my lack of knowledge or by how poorly I handled different situations. I didn’t want people to see my weakness. It bothers me to think of how poorly I’ve handled things. But those things help me grow in humility, and I can be thankful for them.
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” (James 4:6, NIV)
Thanks for reading. Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.
