"all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 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. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world." 1 Peter 5:5-9
"Humble and proud of it." That phrase might make for an interesting bumper sticker or T-shirt, but we recognize that humility and pride are two radically opposed qualities. Like two strong magnetic poles of the same polarity, God strongly opposes the proud, but is magnetically drawn to the humble. As such, we do well to put on the garment of humility and submit to our heavenly Father, who will lift us up in due time by so doing.
Pride is the cause for downfall, but pride can also lead to emotional distress. Self-centered pride is anxiety-producing in that we think we have to solve our own problems with our own resources. It takes humility to realize we are in over our heads, and that we need to surrender to our vastly superior heavenly Father.
Humility is a key component of vigilance. A proud person barges ahead to his own peril, whereas a humble person wisely assesses danger and risk, and proceeds with caution. Pride underestimates our spiritual enemy, while humility leans in with faith in the ability of Jesus our Lord to save us from ultimate harm.
In preparing ourselves for the day, we do well to select the garment of humility from our wardrobe in order to be well-dressed in the truest sense. This garment is most pleasing to our heavenly Father, and He will compliment it in a special way with His grace and protection. Wearing the garment of humility won't ensure a stress-free day, but it will keep anxiety at bay. We'll be well protected from any storms stirred up by the evil one.
You've likely heard the phrase, "dress for success." As James admonishes us to dress in humility, we will have dressed for the greatest success that God through Jesus wishes to bestow on us.
©Steve Taylor, 2022 --Used by permission
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