”Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
James 4:10New International Version (NIV)
James 4:10 Devotional
Humble yourself before the Lord
James 4:10 exhorts you to “humble yourself before the Lord” in your heart. Because your humility will be shown in the washing of your hands and purifying of your heart (James 4:8b).
Therefore, James gives you and me a challenge that demands going against our current day culture. James calls us to “wordiness” from “worldliness”. And he does this because worldliness, which is enmity with God (James 4:4), is adultery (double-mindedness).
But humility attracts God’s favor because “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (James 4:6). Because the desire for the world makes you be exalted before God. And humility is actually submission to God (James 4:7a).
Therefore, James revealed that according to God, the way down is actually the way up. That is, “humbling yourself before God” means to make yourself low, or to bring yourself low. And the way to do this is to be God’s friend just like Abraham (James 2:20-24).
Additionally, to be God’s friend is to live out your faith. And this brings out James’ principle of “faith has to be accompanied by actions”, which is humility to God.
Acknowledge that God is Majestic
Therefore, humbling yourself before God involves living your acknowledging that God is Majestic. And because this is a mental thing, Jesus is our perfect example.
Consequently, Paul, in Philippians 2, wrote that Jesus’ mind was humble. And this is the mind that we have in Him (Philippians 2:5-8). That is, humility relates to God’s majesty – the phrase “before the Lord” means “in the sight of God”.
Moreover, the humility that James wrote about does not concern men. What will concern them is your lifting (exaltation). James reveals that God will “lift you”. And this will be before others because they will be the witnesses.
Therefore, humbling yourself before God involves living your life acknowledging that God is Majestic. And because this is a mental thing, Jesus Christ is our perfect example. Paul, in Philippians 2, recorded that the humble mind is the mind that we have in Christ (Philippians 2:5-8). It is therefore the mind that you need to have.
Additionally, humbling yourself before the Lord is living your life knowing that God is watching everything you do. So don’t overlook or forget the virtue of lowliness in your thoughts, speech, and actions.
God lifts the humble
Finally, James wrote that when you humble yourself before God, He will lift you up. That is, if you humble yourself before God, He will lift you to new spiritual heights. And Matthew 23:12 promises this, while Philippians 2:9-11 confirms it.
So, get rid of all forms of pride (worldliness or friendship with the world), and you’ll be strategically positioned for God’s lifting. Pride will keep you from spiritual elevation (Proverbs 16:18). And when you take on a lowly perception of yourself in your heart and hands (James 4:8b), you will have an influence on your thoughts and actions before God.
Prayer/Blessing
Father in Heaven, please activate the humble mind that is mine in Christ. This is my humble prayer in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
Genesis 10-12 (see How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners))
