A man’s steps are of the Lord; how then can a man understand his own way?
—Proverbs 20:24
We just don’t have the ability to lead our own lives. When we, the creation, believe that we can direct ourselves, pride keeps us from listening and following our Creator. When we don’t acknowledge Him in all our ways—when we don’t lean on Him in everything we do, He cannot lead so we can realize His potential (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Pride has two sides, just like a coin. One side is haughty and full of conceit. Those with this kind of pride embellish themselves. When they fail, they pass the blame on to someone else to guard their good standing. They never enjoy someone else’s success because they are the center of their universe. They always think about themselves. This kind of pride focuses on “self” as its source instead of God as its source.
The other side of pride is shrewd. It is revealed in low self-esteem. Those living with this kind of pride demean and make fun of themselves. What appears to be humility is not humility at all. Constantly worrying about what others think, they feel unworthy and often struggle to believe God loves them enough to fulfill His Word in their lives. When you focus on your inadequacies, you focus on “self.” You think about yourself. “Self” is your source instead of God being your source.
Pride is nothing more than self-centeredness. If you promote or demean yourself, it makes no difference. When your attitude and actions are focused on “self,” pride is an issue.
We can choose God as our source or choose ourselves. We can choose to direct our own steps or choose to let God. When we realize that we aren’t the center of the universe, that we cannot direct ourselves, that it is impossible to sustain ourselves, and that our inadequacies are nothing to God, we can recognize God as our source. True humility lives in our hearts when we submit to God.
Peter instructs us to cast all our cares upon the Lord because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). If problems are drowning you, if demands are overwhelming you, if there is not enough of you, there isn’t. You can’t fix everything. You can only fix what the Lord directs and not what you direct. You must let Him have the rest (1 Corinthians 3:7). Until we let go of our overwhelming problems and the demands of life, God can’t help us. When we stand in His way, He can’t help us without hurting us because “self” is in His way.
When we submit to God, who directs us with a vision, we must remember that it is not our responsibility to bring that vision to life. God’s responsibility is to produce what is in our hearts. It is not our responsibility. We must respond in faith to His power, knowing that He will also provide for what He guides us to do. When we surrender to God, we trust Him. Learning to cast our cares on the Lord is humility.
“He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
Though we can make our relationship with God difficult, it is not meant to be. We don’t have to prove ourselves to Him through what we do or how much we sacrifice. Jesus fulfilled the Law’s requirements (Matthew 5:17). God requires us to “do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.”
To fulfill God’s purpose, I must cast the cares of a prideful heart on Him. I must be taught in my heart how to “do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.” How am I taught? “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).
I can’t have or believe something I have never heard. If I don’t understand that humility releases God’s grace in my life, I will never experience it. If I don’t know the danger and intricacies of pride, I can’t fight it. My problems, obligations, and inadequacies don’t need to overwhelm me. My heart must be overwhelmed with God’s truth about humility to have the faith to resist pride and recognize true humility.
If there is true humility, there is also a subtle false humility. True humility is not focused on “self.”
Lord, I want to honestly examine my life, let go of myself, and surrender to You. Your will and the concerns of others should always come first. Today, I choose your worthiness instead of my own. Guide me, Lord, and I will follow.
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