O Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror.  Psalm 10:17-18

As I stated in the last post (Pride and Humility Part 1 –  Pride Renounced), we live in a culture that promotes autonomy, independence and self-assuredness.  When controlled, these characteristics are useful tools in life.  However, left unchecked, they will likely lead to pride.  Prideful arrogance impedes a relationship with God, inhibits relationships with others, multiplies guilt, brings dishonor and insures judgement.   Alternatively, humility is often despised by our culture because it appears to be the weaker trait.  However, it is desired by God because it yields rewards in both this life and the one to come.  Following are a few of the benefits.

Salvation

The foremost benefit of humility is our deliverance from eternal punishment and separation from God.  It takes humility to confess our sins and to recognize the fact that we cannot earn our redemption.  Salvation requires that we humbly accept Christ’s gift, live by His standards and submit to God’s will for our lives.  But the salvation that humility affords extends beyond escaping the punishment that our sins deserve.  Our Heavenly Father promises in Chronicles 7:14 that when “My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  We see this played out in the reigns of Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:5) and Josiah (2 Kings 22:19).  Because of the humility of these two kings before God, they were allowed to be buried in peace and the punishment of God planned for Judah was delayed.  (It should be noted that peace did not last and calamity came because the later kings and the greater portion of the people of Judah refused to humble themselves and turn from “their wicked ways”.)  Further, humble submission to God’s will in our lives allows our trials to be used for good (Romans 8:28) just as true confession of our sins often leads being equipped for service.  The redemption of both our trials and our sin provides the wisdom, understanding and compassion to help others.

Help

Psalm 46 reminds us that God is “an ever-present help in trouble”.  Further, Philippians 4:6 instructs us to bring our request before God with thanksgiving.  It takes humility to understand that we are helpless on our own and that all that we have comes from the hand of Almighty God.  When we humbly pour out our concerns before our Lord, He will help us either through relief or grace to endure.  Either way, He provides peace that surpasses understanding which will guard our hearts and our minds.  In so doing, He helps us not only with what we are aware of but also with the spiritual warfare surrounding us.

Instruction

Have you ever tried to teach something new to an individual who is too proud to admit that they don’t know everything?  It’s much easier to educate someone who recognizes their limitations and is open to instruction.  The same is true of us spiritually.  When we humble ourselves before the Lord, we are open to His instruction in matters related to both faith and life.  Reading through many of the Psalms provides a greater understanding of what it means to humbly seek God’s help.  Like David, our prayers should not be limited to relief from difficult circumstances, but also implore God to provide instruction, sustaining grace a closer relationship with Him.  We see this modeled for us in Psalm 119.  Once we have sought and received our Lord’s teaching, we can agree with David and proclaim to others that: “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He instructs sinners in the way.  He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way.”  (Psalm 25:8-9)  In this way, we not only receive His blessing but glorify His name.

Service

Humility also opens up the path to service both within and without of the family of Christ.  When we set aside our pride, we are free to meet the needs of others regardless of social status or need.  We are able to serve those with wealth and power without embarrassment or idolizing them; we can aid those in similar circumstances freely without expecting anything in return; and we are free to assist the poor and helpless with sincere generosity and compassion.  In that regard, our service becomes a blessing to both the giver and the recipient.  Ephesians 4:2-3 reminds us that when we serve with “humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love” we preserve both unity and peace.

And…

Humility not only opens the door to redemption, help, instruction and service, but it also provides other benefits as well.  Here are a few examples:

• Grace – “But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” James 4:6
• Strength – “O Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart.” Psalm 10;17
• Delight – “But the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.” Psalm 37:11
• Revival – “The humble have seen it and are glad; You who seek God, let your heart revive for the Lord hears the needy and does not despise His who are prisoners.” Psalm 69:32-33
• Wisdom – “When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2
• Joy – “My soul will make its boast in the Lord; the humble will hear it and rejoice.” Psalm 34:2
• Blessing – “How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.” Psalm 40:4

Choice

No matter what issue we face with respect to our thoughts or behaviors, it always comes down to a choice.  It may intentional or unintentional, but it is still a choice.  As with all of His principals, God calls us to humility because our lives are enriched by it.  Pride impedes relationships, but humility encourages them; pride leads to guilt and dishonor, but humility brings redemption and honor; pride brings judgement but humility brings salvation; and finally, pride moves us away from God, but humility draws us closer to Him and allows us to enjoy all of His blessings.  Habakkuk 2:4 says: “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith.”  May we all choose to live humbly before God and by faith in Him alone.  When we do, our Lord will hear us, strengthen us and allow peace to reign in our souls.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Will