Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. James 4:10

If only the Jesus way were easier. Our sin-affected souls naturally compare and are prideful. Humility is the harder choice. But it’s the better one, because it leads to freedom, forgiveness, joy, and peace.

If I’m honest, I’ve often wanted to skip the process and get to the results. I want the end goal but not the hard work of humbling my heart. Why is it so difficult? It could be we don’t see our sin (or more accurately, don’t want to see our sin). We might be afraid. Perhaps we think it’s too hard to do.

Part of what guides the heart toward humility is a recognition of brokenness. I believe the Holy Spirit is instrumental in this process as he reveals truth and moves us to action. One experience I will never forget occurred at a marriage conference. The topic of the morning was about a wife submitting to her husband, but the teaching was paired with the importance of submitting our lives to the Holy Spirit. That need reached the depths of my soul and I knew then that the only way I’d be able to submit willingly to my husband was to humble myself to the lordship of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. The couples dispersed in the lawn outside to discuss the session. In a moment of clarity and conviction, not concerned with what anyone else would think, I pushed knees to the earth as I recognized my brokenness, humbled myself, and asked the Holy Spirit to aid me in submitting to Christ and to my husband. What joy and peace flooded my heart in that moment and in the days to follow. I also felt led to confess my brokenness and obstinance to my husband. I found even further relief and joy as I did what it says in James 5:16: “confess your sins to one another and pray for one another” (James 5: 16)

Have you had an experience(s) in humbling yourself before God? What was that like for you and what did you experience as a result? Today, try a new posture to represent the humbling of your heart. Perhaps kneeling or facing palms up. Perhaps you also take the brave step to confess your sin to a trusted friend or pastor.

By Ellen Rosenberger

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