The Power of Humility

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your car on Him, because He cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:6 CSB)

Exalting oneself is a dead end street. Some go that way, thinking that in doing so they are taking charge of their lives, and they do just fine for awhile, until the street runs out. They will ultimately discover that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (1 Peter 5:5) They come to understand that such pride is misplaced and inappropriate for God’s people, and devoid of any real power. The real power is to be found in humility. “When I am weak, that is when I am strong,” says Paul. This is one of the paradoxes of our faith. It shouldn’t be true, but it is. This is because God honors humility. Humility, in fact, puts us in the position where we draw on the power of God. It allows us to channel His power through us. Ultimately, He will exalt us through His might.

When this happens, we discover that there is also a positive side to pride when it is redemptively understood, when it is properly placed. Here is how the psalmist said it, “Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of the Lord our God.” (Psalm 20:7) The “pride” he is referring to is confidence. Any army with chariots and horses was considered far more powerful than one with only an infantry. In other words, their pride and confidence were in what was considered a superior fighting force, but we see this in a different light. We “take pride” in the name of the Lord our God. Our confidence is in the character of God. “He gives victory to His anointed.” (Psalm 20:6) This pride or confidence is properly placed when it is directed toward the Lord.

God gives us victory, and He exalts us in due time. He does this because he cares for us and because we cast our cares upon Him, trusting Him to take care of us. And He does.

Father, We humble ourselves before You and cast our cares upon You, trusting You exercise the might of Your character in our lives. Amen.