By: Undre Griggs, Jr.
Those who are humble are often portrayed as someone who is unsure or lacks confidence. The prideful person is seen as a go-getter and someone who gets things done. In actuality, the humble person is going to be the most effective. It is the prideful person who is wasting a considerable amount of time appeasing their ego. Have you ever met someone who found it difficult to admit they were wrong? Instead of simply acknowledging the truth and moving on, they find themselves trying to defend the indefensible.
1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV): Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
On the other hand, when you are humble, you are more focused on outcome than you are on who gets credit. This is important because you have to remember all good things come from God. Throughout Scripture, God makes it clear that is important for us to acknowledge Him in all of our endeavors. To aid us in this task, God looks for the humble to elevate. The humble will not accept credit, nor do they seek praise.
Another method God utilizes to help us spot His mighty hand is to uplift the “weak”. We see this with King David, who was seen as the smallest and least threatening of his brothers. When David killed Goliath, everyone immediately knew that it could only be accomplished through the hand of God. A similar situation occurred with Joseph, when he was sold into slavery by his brothers. Joseph went from slave to second in command of the most powerful empire of that time.
Numbers 20:11-12 (ESV): And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”
God knows it is human nature to give credit to what we can see and to ignore what we can’t. Moses lost his ability to enter the Promise Land because he did not speak to the rock. As a result, the Hebrews were going to give undue credit to Moses. While it may not seem like a big deal to us, it is of the highest importance to God. So important, that everything Moses did up to this point (plagues, traveling, commandments, leaving a lavish lifestyle) could not compare to the mistake of blurring the line of God and man. Consequently, the strength found in a humble person who has God on their side becomes immeasurable; and the strength found in a prideful person who is without God becomes trivial. Do not live in a manner that diminishes your works because you are blurring the line between God and man. Be humble, be gracious, and be willing to give God the glory.
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