Clothed in Humility

Psalm 25:9 (New International Version)
"He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way."

It is a real task to be humble when it seems those around you receive or get more than what you believe you deserve. One of the greatest examples in the Bible is that of the prodigal son story. A son who leaves his home and squanders his life in wrong living. A son who stays home and does what seems to be righteous living. The disobient son returns home with sincere humility, yet the righteous son holds his brother in contempt.

What was the problem? The father chose to bless the humble son and the righteous son was angry because he had always done what was right in his eyes and he was not being given his rightful rewards. The older brother was trying to justify his faithfulness by what he had done and deserved.

The younger brother saw himself as one who deserved nothing and humble himself. The father choose to bless the younger and had hopes that the older would join in the celebration. Instead the older brother's true nature came forth.

The Apostle Paul would call this fulfilling the desires of the lower nature ( Gal. 5:13) . The answer to the lack of humility that is brought about through walking in the lower nature of man is this: " I mean this: if you are guided by the Spirit you will not fulfil the desires of your lower nature. The nature sets its desires against the Spirit, while the Spirit fights against it. They are in conflict with one another so that what you will to do you cannot. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law." Gal. 5:16-18

Paul was talking about the Law, yet it can be easily seen that there is a lower law of nature that seeks to control us, when we do not seek to have humility that draws us to be under the tudoring of the Holy Spirit.

This takes us back to the title of this devotion: Clothed in Humility, along with the Scripture "He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way." If we as God's children wish to walk in the nature of the Spirit, we must reject that lower nature that demands our rights, regardless of what we have achieved, believe we deserve, or even desire.

Humilty is a challenge, but it is a Scriptural mandate. It is one of the hardest paths to walk on. "God resisteth the proud, and giveth his grace to the humble" (James 4:6) Another great verse, Galatians is 6:1, speaks to this issue. "We must not be conceited, challenging one another to rivalry, jealous of one another."

As Children of God, we ought to take stock of our attitudes and self motivations the next time we are faced with a situation that our lower nature begins to demand our rights verses the Spiritual nature leading us to a state of humility and submission to God's work to show us the right way.

I Peter 3:8 "Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind...."