Today’s Scripture: James 4:6, NKJV- “But He gives more grace. Therefore, He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.””
Humbling ourselves and submitting to God is being in the right place. Seeking friendship with God over friendship with this world is where we find security and strength to resist the devil.
In the 12-Step recovery programs it has always seemed odd to me that it is Step 7 before we are instructed to humbly ask God to remove all our shortcomings. Every time I read this; I think this sure sounds like this should come up before step 7! Shouldn’t we get to humbling ourselves before God and asking for His help with our addictions before now?
In reviewing the 12 Steps of recovery, you can see that these steps I believe ordained by God are just getting us to a place of humbleness. In Step 1 we must admit we are powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors and our lives have become unmanageable. Step 2 is that we come to believe there is a power greater than ourselves that can restore us to sanity. Step 3 is that we made the decision to turn our wills and our lives over to the care of God. Step 4 is that we did a fearless and searching moral inventory of ourselves. In most of our stories this is enough to humble us and show our sins and double minded ways referred to in James 4:10. Step 5 we admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs…OK; now I am feeling humble. I had to admit that?? Step 6: We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. Which brings us to Step 7: We humbly asked God to remove all our shortcomings.
God does show us through these steps that we must get to a place of humbleness. Why Lord does it take me six steps before I can get humble enough to ask you? God forgive my double minded ways. Where I confess my humbleness with my mouth but still have the mind to think I can manage and lift myself up or remove my own defects.
We need God’s power to cleanse ourselves and His love to purify our hearts. We are double minded as James 4:8 states. We try to keep our friendships with the world where we are called to show pride and our own strength.
Fortunately, we are promised in James 4:10 that if we humble ourselves before the LORD, He will lift us up. We do not know the future, but God does. We can trust Him with our future and our pasts.
I am choosing, no humbling myself, to trust God’s will to do this or that just as James 4:18 states. Do what You will God, I am following You.
1. How do you humble yourself before God?
2. Have you drawn near to God and had Him draw near to you?
3. What are some of the fruits or evidence that God has drawn near to you?
4. What actions can we take to draw near to Him?
Today’s Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am humbling myself and falling on my face before You. You are God and I am not. I am a sinner LORD who needs Your grace, power, and love. Forgive me Father for when I seek friendship and power in this world above You. You alone are God, and I am humbling myself before You to accept Your will. Guide me LORD in Your will and Your grace. Amen.
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