Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. – James 4:10

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 20, 2017): James 4 & 5

Psychiatrist Carl Jung wrote that “Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves. But deep down below the surface of the average conscience a still, small voice says to us, something is out of tune.” For some, self-deception is just a coping mechanism for life. We know that we are not deserving of all that we want, but somehow convince ourselves that we are, and that helps us excuse our unacceptable behavior. But then there is Jung’s still, small voice that continues to rain on our parade.

For most, it seems that life is a race to proclaim our own self-importance or our relevance. And often, that includes declaring our personal worth. The problem is that that might work as we encounter each other, although it probably shouldn’t, but by the very nature of our relationship with God it can’t work with him. While we may try to make excuses for our behavior with each other, ignoring the still, small voice inside of us that continually reminds us that we are wrong, there are no excuses that work with God. He is God, holy, just and perfect – and we are not. The more that we try to prove that we are worthy of God’s forgiveness and grace, the farther away that we find ourselves from that which we crave.

The more important that we prove ourselves to be, the less it is that we need God. So James encourages his readers that as they come to God, they need to do so with great humility. In this, James echoes one of the great themes of the Bible. It is only the humble that can know the blessings of God. Our self-protestations don’t get us there, and neither do our demands that God would give us what we want. His blessings only come through humility.

Consider these words:

When people are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’  then he will save the downcast (Job 22:29).

Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor (Proverbs 29:23).

For this is what the high and exalted One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite (Isaiah 57:15).

For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted – Jesus (Matthew 23:12, Luke 14:11).

William Barclay sums up James thoughts on humility like this.

Only when a man realizes his own ignorance will he ask God's guidance. Only when a man realizes his own poverty in the things that matter will he pray for the riches of God's grace. Only when a man realizes his weakness in necessary things will he come to draw upon God's strength. Only when a man realizes his own sin will he realize his need of a Saviour and of God's forgiveness.

Only in humility can we see God, because only in humility do we recognize that something is out of tune, something that we know that only God can fix.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Acts 13