Catching Humility

Humility so often eludes us.  It's a silent companion that once acknowledged, vanishes into thin air, leaving pride to rear its ugly head. Pride is such a difficult adversary.  

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6)

So often when we are praised for something, we outwardly ask for it to stop, while inside, we are secretly swallowing the sweet indulgence of it. When we do that, God resists us. It is only when we are completely fixed on Him, and not on ourselves or what we can gain, that we can truly see His grace manifested in our lives. It is always there, that beautiful grace, but we are so careless with it.  We treat it as something that is owed to us.  Such pride. 

James 4:10 says Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.  The word humble there means to depress; figuratively to humiliate (in condition or heart): - abase, bring low, humble (self). In other words, it is when we esteem nothing of ourselves, and when we have gone as low as possible, that we can be lifted back up. Why? Because He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30).  That's the whole goal of this Christian walk, isn't it?  To be transformed into someone more like Christ.

Do not be discouraged though, because none of us have completely gotten the hang of this humility thing yet.  God is doing that work in us now. But, seek it.  Seek Him. Have a thirst that can only be quenched by a river of living water.  Life becomes so much more beautiful when we take our eyes off ourselves, and fix our gaze upon our heavenly Father; who ordained the moon and the stars and chose you before the foundation of the earth.