It takes humility to admit that you are wrong.  I know I’ve been wrong a lot in my life and I’m still learning.  Pride will shut you off to receiving anything from God.  The Bible says God gives grace to the humble.  So evidently there is a qualification that is required in order to receive His grace.  This is a spiritual law that goes to everything that God does and everything that God gives.  If you want to learn the truth, be willing to admit you were wrong and change what you were thinking.  This is an amazingly simple but critically important point.  Why are there so many division within the church?  I think part of it is because nobody wants to admit we were wrong.  I don’t believe that there are any Christian denominations that are 100% correct and I don’t believe there are any preachers that are 100% correct about anything either.  So what is our attitude towards one another to be?  We should be much more tolerant and patient towards each other.  We should try to be more helpful and loving.  We should all certainly remain open.  Even listening to preachers that I know are saying something that is wrong that doesn’t mean that they won’t say something that is right that you need to hear.  I always try to say to myself, they just haven’t seen that truth yet on that subject and move on past their remarks.  Will Rogers use to say, “We are all ignorant, just about different things.”  If you didn’t know that, you could have just learned a whole bunch by listening to that one statement.

1Pe 5:5  Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humulity: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Do you need the grace of God in your life today?  This verse informs us of one of the key elements to obtaining the grace of God.  In order to receive God’s grace you must become humble.   Of course, your definition of humble must be God’s definition of humble and not what your preacher may think it means.  To be humble is the opposite to being proud.  You can see this in this verse in 1 Peter.   The Bible definition of proud is someone who appears or thinks they are above someone else.  They look at others with disdain or arrogance.  They think more highly of themselves than others.  Proud people have great difficulty in submitting to others.  They think they know everything and have a better solution to every problem.  The Jewish leaders in Jesus’ day were prime example of men who thought they were better than everyone else.   But, God gives us another picture of humility:

Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

God reverses the thinking of men and tells us how to become great in God’s eyes.  Men and women like to think that to become the greatest singer or entertainer or sports figure it just takes good looks, or talent or ability or some other human quality.  Maybe in the world that is the way it works.  But God purposely choose a different system to define greatest in heaven.  The key to greatest in God’s world is to become humble like a little child.  Have you ever watched a small child and observed their behavior?  Most of the time it is a great example of humility.  Jesus used this example and said this is what it takes to be great in the eyes of God.  You see I have never seen a normal child who thought he or she was better than anyone else.  Children can develop pride and rich kids can become snobs and arrogant towards others they view as being inferior, this is a learned behavior from their parents mostly.  But I am talking about little kids like 3 or 4 years old.  The innocence and the behavior of a child should be your example for your Christian life.  We all need God’s grace and this is one of the key elements to obtaining it.

Mat 23:11  But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

Greatness and grace are extended to the humble and in this verse to those who become servants to other.  Jesus set us an example that even astounds me still today.  Jesus who was God in the flesh, the creator of everything we can see, the one that knows all and sees all, the one that has all power and ability and He stops and washes the feet of His followers before He returns to heaven.  That is a very difficult thing to imagine happening.  How can the omnipotent God become a servant to others?  To wash people’s feet was the task of slaves and servants in those days.  Jesus set some very high standards and definitions for greatness and I hope I can live up to them.

So what is your definition of being humble?  What is humility to you?  I know there are many other verses in the Bible on the subject that I did not talk about.  Do you have a favorite story in the Bible about humility?  Can you see how in those stories that God’s grace was extended towards them because of their humility?  I like stories like Moses and David where God demonstrated His greatness because of the humble hearts of his servants.   I would be very glad to hear your thoughts on this subject.