Humility: God's Principle for Success

In a kingdom, there is only one king. Everyone else is a subject of the king. What the king says, the subject must do. The word "subject" comes from the same root word as "submission," which is a yielding of your authority or your will to another. The subject can disobey the king, but he/she must be willing to suffer the consequences.

The life of a subject would be hard if you had to obey a wicked or selfish king. Your King is powerful, good, and kind. His commands bring joy to His subjects.

What does the Bible have to say about this?


If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. {II Chronicles 7:14}


Notice the first qualification in that list: humility. God required that His people humble themselves first before He restored them.

Before honour is humility. {Proverbs 15:33; 18:12}


This verse is pretty self-explanatory: if you want honor/success, you must learn humility first.

By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life. {Proverbs 22:4}


This passage is pretty self-explanatory, as well. Humility is one of the biggest qualifying factors in the Christian life if you desire to be blessed by God, materially and spiritually.


And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. {Matthew 23:12}


If you exalt yourself, God will humble you. If you humble yourself, God will be pleased to exalt you.

Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: {I Peter 5:5-6}


Notice that verse 6 says that you are to humble yourself. Why do you need to be the one to do the humbling? Because it is an act of the will.

Verse 6 also tells us the reward of humbling ourselves before God: He will exalt us. Why is it appropriate for God to do the exalting? Because He is the only one who can exalt.

{ Humility takes self off the throne of your heart and puts God on the throne. }

You have a choice before you every day. You can choose to obey and clothe yourself with humility, or you can try to run your life on your own terms, in your own prideful way, and face the consequences.


Which path will you choose today?