HUMILITY AND WISDOM

When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but with the humble is wisdom – Proverbs 11:2

Humility is another Wisdom-generating virtue, born from the Fear of God: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but with the humble is wisdom” (Pro.11:2). There is Wisdom in Humility. God hates a haughty spirit, because the proud person does not fear the Lord. One who fears the Lord is humble; depends on God for everything and would not take credit himself for what God does. Humility is foundational for other aspects of godly wisdom because the humble is teachable, open to counsel, change and growth, and ready to be corrected. In contrast, the proud person does not like to admit his or her errors, faults or weaknesses.

Wisdom is the practical knowledge of how to attain fulfilment in life. It is to hear and do the Word of God; but the only people who will do this are those who humbly rely on Him for help; who fear to seek fulfilment anywhere but in Him. You must never allow the rewarding results of wisdom make you haughty: “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” (Isa.5:21). Never become wise in your own sight. God gave Cain’s descendants creativity in city-design and development, tent-dwelling construction, animal husbandry, and music, but their knowledge and inventions were not used for God’s glory, thereby bringing greater wrath on them and their children (Gen.4:17-22).

Every human being has a choice between being humble and being humbled! The story is told: One of Charles Spurgeon’s students went into a pulpit with every expression of confidence but he had an extremely difficult time delivering the message. He came down distressed, almost broken-hearted, and he went to Spurgeon about it. These were the words of Spurgeon to him: “If you had gone up as you came down, you would have come down as you went up.” God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Jam.4:6; 1Pet.5:5). It takes grace to be humble! May you receive it in Jesus name.

God will confound and confuse the proud, those who think themselves wise and crafty: “He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot carry out their plans. He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them” (Job 5:12-13). God reveals His secrets to the humble – “babes” – rather than to the worldly wise (Mt.11:25-26). He says: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent” (1Cor.1:19). Wisdom and prudence not used for God’s glory will be taken away, leaving a man or a nation a babbling fool (Isa.10:13-16; 29:13-14). Humble yourself, give God the glory, and He will make you wise (1 Cor.3:18).