Be Humble

I wonder how many people are puffed up with pride and arrogance in the communities (Churches).  I think many have been guilty of this at one time or another.  I know that I have been guilty and I for one admit it and I am very sorry for this kind of attitude and the hurt I may have caused because of it.  I ask that anyone that I have hurt will please forgive me and accept my apology and I thank you in advance for your forgiveness.  I believe many of us have a struggle with pride and humility.  One of the problems with pride is that it stinks and the only one that can’t smell it is the one that has it, I heard that from one of the pastors I sat under some years ago.  It is a better than thou attitude, and it says I am better than you so listen to me or do as I do and so on.

I used to think because the Lord blessed me so much and in so many ways that He loved me more than other people and that was deception on my part.  There is more than one way to be prideful, like looking down your nose thinking that you are better than someone else or smarter or this, I have a better house than yours, plus other things that I could mention.  A prideful person is a haughty person full of pride and arrogance, very high minded always with a better than thou attitude as I said earlier.

Please read what God’s Word says about this in Proverbs 16:18-19, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.”      

Let me remind you of something, God hates pride and He knows how to humble anyone that’s haughty and prideful.  Does He love people that are prideful, yes, I think He does because He loves the sinner but hates the sin itself.  If you are haughty and proud, God will resist you.

Please read Jacob (James) 4:6-10, “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

If you want to be lifted up, then walk humbly before your God!!

Let me give you a good example of a person in God’s Word that was found with a lot pride and how God dealt with him in the book of Daniel.  He was King Nebuchadnezzar, in the province of Babylon.  He was very haughty and proud, and he had reason to be but that is no excuse.  I don’t think anyone would want to be humbled the way he was.  One day the king had a dream that troubled him and he wanted someone to interpret it.  Then Daniel who was also called Belteshazzar interpreted the dream for him.

Read what the King heard in Daniel 4:10-15, “I was watching the visions in my mind while on my bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, descended from heaven. He called loudly, saying: ‘Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit! Let beasts flee from under it, and birds from its branches. Yet leave a stump with its roots in the earth, in fetters of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be damp with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the animals in the grass of the earth. Let his mind be altered from that of a man and let an animal’s mind be given to him and let seven periods of time pass over him. This sentence is by the decree of the watchers, this verdict by the command of the holy ones, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the realm of man and bestows it to whomever He wishes, and may set over them even the lowliest of men.’ I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw this dream. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me its meaning, for none of the wise men of my kingdom are able to make known to me its interpretation. But you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

A year after this, all of what Daniel interpreted took place, please read what happened in Daniel 4:26-30, “At the end of twelve months, as he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, the king exclaimed, ‘Is this not the great Babylon that I have built as the royal residence by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?’ The words were still in the king’s mouth when a voice fell from heaven. ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, it has been decreed to you that your kingdom has been removed from you! You will be driven away from men and you will live with the beasts of the field. You will feed on grass like an ox and seven periods of time will pass over you until you come to know that the Most High is sovereign over the realm of mankind and gives it to whomever He wishes.’ Immediately the word about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from men, ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.”    

Now read what the King said in that same chapter verses 31-34, “But at the end of the appointed days, I Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes up to heaven and my sanity returned to me. So I blessed the Most High and I praised and honored Him who lives forever. For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation! All the inhabitants of earth are counted as nothing. He does as He wills with the army of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth. No one can hold back His hand, or say to Him, ‘What have you done?’ At that moment my sanity returned to me, and my majesty and my splendor were restored to me, for the glory of my kingdom. My ministers and nobles sought me out and I was reestablished over my kingdom. I became even greater than before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, because all His works are right and His ways just. He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”

I don’t think any of us wants to be humbled that way, so if you find yourself in this situation repent and confess then start walking humbly before your God and He will lift you up in His time!!  Well, I think you got the message and I hope this Tidbit has been a blessing and a help and encouragement to you!!  May the good Lord bless you and yours with His perfect peace, love and joy and health and happiness and may each of you have a super, super day and don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord for He is worthy plus He inhabits the praise of his people!!