Pleasing God, Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

A Good, Necessary, and Painful Work

JAMES 4:6 – But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

The well-known Christian blogger, Tim Challies, wrote concerning humility, “Of all the pursuits that come with the Christian life, is any more constant, any more consuming, and any more difficult than the pursuit of humility? Surely nothing cuts harder against the grain of our natural, sinful humanity than to be humble before God and humble before our fellow man.”

The chief work God must do and will do in the lives of His children is build humility in them. It is a good work, necessary work, and painful work. Without out, there is no spiritual growth. Without it, pride rules and taints every human relationship. Without it, the Christian life is stalled. Don’t rebel against it, submit to it, and rejoice that God loves us such much He would do this good, necessary, and painful work in us. But let’s break down these qualities in the work of humility by God.

First, God’s work of building humility in His people is a good work. Why? Two reasons. It is the anti-thesis of what is at the root of all sin–pride; and it mirrors one of the chief virtues we observed in the Lord Jesus while He walked upon the earth – “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”(Matthew 11:28-30). And any work that empties us of pride and makes us like Jesus cannot be anything but good!

Also, the work of humility in us is a necessary work. I mentioned this in the first paragraph, but there is another reason for the necessity of being made a humble person under the mighty hand of God. It is implied in today’s scripture. Notice how God approaches the proud person–with resistance. In fact, the verb “oppose” means to “be enemy-like” and that means no fellowship with God without humility. It is a necessary work for fellowship.

Finally, as God works in us the virtue of humility, it will be a painful work. It has to be because pride doesn’t die easily. How painful? Well for the Apostle Paul this painful – So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2Corinthians 12:7-10). In some form and fashion, God is going to assign some thorn in our flesh to do the humbling work we need. It will be painful. It will hurt, but oh see beyond the pain to the good fruit.

God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son. And God so loves His people that He does the good, necessary, and painful work of humility in them for their benefit and His glory.

PRAYER: “Father, help me to submit with joy to the good, necessary, and yes, painful work of building humility in me.”
QUOTE: “Without humility, there is no spiritual growth. There is not even the beginning of spiritual life.”

Because of Him,
Pastor Jim