Walk Humbly (June 8, 2023)

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:10) 

We are often quick to form opinions and make hasty judgments of other people, many of which are not founded in fact. How we perceive others is key to determining how we interact with and behave toward them. Another crucial contributor to interpersonal human relations is how we view ourselves. Psychologists tell us that one of the most important factors in happiness and well-being is self-esteem. Having a positive self-image is crucial to living an abundant and fulfilling life. We need to respect ourselves and develop a positive self-perception even though our circumstances and relationships may make that difficult. Living abundantly is all about developing a healthy sense of self-worth. We were each uniquely created to value ourselves as God’s precious creations and seek to discover and utilize the abilities, talents, and spiritual gifts that He has given us as children of God.

 “When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2)

A positive self-image is one thing, but pride or haughtiness is quite another. While self-confidence is important to our happiness and well-being, we need to be careful that we do not allow our self-esteem to get out of control. Scripture warns that pride is the prelude to destruction! God hates pride and promises that it will be punished. Pride’s opposite, humility, on the other hand, comes before honor and brings wisdom. Our heavenly Father loves humility, as exemplified during the earthly ministry of His Son Jesus Christ, and promises to uplift those who humble themselves before Him and other people. We need to strike a healthy balance between self-confidence and arrogance, between self-esteem and pride. Just as Christ humbled Himself to free us from the prison of our sins and give us the hope of everlasting life, we must practice meekness as we seek to love and serve God supremely and our neighbors above ourselves. 

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3)