Heaven Rules Smakprov

Choosing Humility

Being super organized, excelling in school or sports, working longer hours than the rest of our colleagues, keeping a spotless house, having an empty inbox, never running late for an appointment—any of these qualities could be born out of genuine love for God and others . . . or they might reveal an underlying drive to control or to be admired by others.

Or think about what we call low self-esteem, something that on the face of it could seem to be just the opposite of pride. But might this low sense of self-worth at times be a form of simmering displeasure at how our Creator designed us and intends to display His glory through us? Do we not see the tinge of pride that colors our low view of ourselves, as if we know ourselves better than our loving Creator does? Could this despising of ourselves be, at heart, a disappointed, disillusioned, disbelief of Heaven’s rule?

And what about anxiety? Don’t we sometimes seek the sense of control it gives us over our circumstances? Over our fears? Over our concern for the well-being of our loved ones? Yet when we’re twisted up in our worries, we’ll often take them over anything. Even over Heaven’s rule.

No matter our stage of life, pride can pilfer our peace and sabotage our trust in heaven’s Ruler, hiding behind natural concern for our own well-being and the protective instincts we feel toward our family and friends.

Humility is a difficult choice for us humans, and God knows this. He made us, and He understands us. He knows how tightly we grip those things we look to for security. He knows our reluctance to let go. He knows how hard it is for us to trust Him to run this world.

So He is patient. He’s willing to make this a process. If the place we’re going is humility, He will take the time to walk it out with us. He’ll even put us in the right conditions to steer us there, toward being right-minded. Toward having a right-sized view of ourselves.

Humility and pride. They are light and darkness, life and death. That’s why we must choose to be ruled not by ourselves—never by ourselves—but by the One who has our “life-breath in his hand,” the One apart from whom we could not survive the

next five seconds.

—Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

Questions:

• Where can you identify pride in your life? Is it obvious, or does it disguise itself?
• How has pride stolen your peace and kept you from trusting in Heaven’s rule?