Do you know what it is to come through a hard season and look back with great thankfulness for what the Lord has taught you? As most of you know, August – January were very difficult months for myself and my church. But the Lord was right there showing me what He was doing and speaking new and fresh things to my heart through it all. I am now standing on the other side of such adversity and I can honestly say that it has become one of the sweetest seasons of my life. Only the Lord can give such grace.
When I think of James 4:6, it is a big part of the foundation God is laying in teaching us how to pray more effectively. The Bible says, “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Let us unfold each phrase of this wonderful verse and carefully unpack its truths.
He Gives More Grace
Do we not need more of God’s grace in the many areas of our lives? I know I need more grace in my marriage. It doesn’t matter how much you love someone, marriage is hard. It is two people (two wills, two emotions, two different backgrounds, two different ways of doing things) trying to come together to become one. That is difficult.
I need more grace in my parenting. How many mistakes do we make as parents? I need the Lord’s grace to help me be a good and godly father. I need His grace to help me not show favoritism between my children, which can destroy homes. I need His grace to help me discipline and do it in a way that shapes my kid’s thinking toward God, as their Heavenly Father. I need His grace in raising my kids through the various stages they will grow into.
Do you know what I love about the word “Gives” in this verse? In the Greek, the original language of the New Testament, it is a present tense of the word. This means that His grace is not a one-time gift. It does not occur at the moment of salvation and that is all you get. No! He gives more grace…greater grace! He stands ready to help us and distribute His rich grace to our lives. How remarkable is that? Mercy is God NOT giving us what we deserve. But grace is God giving us what we DO NOT deserve! How thankful we should be that the Lord is a God who is rich, abundant and generous in giving greater grace.
God Opposes the Proud
Proverbs 16:5 has some strong language toward the proud. It says, “ Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord. Be assured, he will not go unpunished.” Have you ever wondered why God hates the sin of pride so much? The answer is because pride is the sin that separates us from God.
What causes man to not repent? Pride. What causes us to not forsake sin and embrace Christ? Pride. What causes us to go our own way and rebel? Pride. What causes us to not forgive and hold on to resentment? Pride. It is the sin of pride that separates us from God. John Mason said it well, “As the first step heaven-ward is humility, the first step hell-ward is pride.”
The Greek word for “Opposes” is a military term. It is saying that God aligns Himself against those who are proud. Think how astounding that meaning is. Our society does not value humility, we value power, money, influence and popularity. So this verse is saying that if those are the traits that mark your life…if those are you goals in life then God is aligning Himself against you. That alone should cause us to repent!
Gives Grace to the Humble
Who are the recipients of God’s grace? The humble! Humility is not thinking bad of yourself. It is not thinking of yourself at all. Most of you know that we live in a culture that is self absorbed. This type of thinking creeps its way into believers and we must guard against it.
The Greek word for humility very interesting. It literally means, “To get low. “ It means to be as “Flat as you possibly can get without being seen. To be level with the earth.” Isn’t that a great picture of humility? It means to lower ourselves. To take our bodies, our minds, our hearts, our wills, our ambitions and lower them to the Lordship and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ.
Humility does not earn gifts from God. Rather, humility positions us to receive His best gifts freely! How does humility “position” us? By lowering ourselves! It reminds me of a wonderful quote from Andrew Murray of the 1800’s. He wrote, “Do you want to enter what people call the higher life? Then go a step lower down. Just as water seeks and fills the lowest place, so the moment God finds you abased and empty, His glory and power flow in.”
One of my favorite authors on prayer is F.B. Meyer. He captures a beautiful picture of humility by writing, “I used to think that God’s gifts were on shelves one above the other, and that the taller we grew in Christian character the earlier we could reach them. I now find that God’s gifts are on shelves one beneath the other. It is not a question of growing taller, but of stooping down, to get His best gifts.”
Learning to Grow Downward
My oldest is six years old. She is in K-5 and is just learning to read. I love to help her with homework because it thrills me to hear her sound out words. The whole process is fascinating to me. I know she is building a strong foundation that will carry her the rest of her life.
Sometimes I feel foolish when I pray. Sometimes I don’t know if I am quite doing it right. When the Holy Spirit tells me to make no plans for a prayer service, but to rely solely on his guidance and help in praying, it scares me to death. I often question if I am doing this whole process right?
Monday night, I helped Piper with her homework. Simple words she questioned if she was reading them right. Words like “Mud”, “Bat” and “Sam.” But she was right. It was slow, she had to sound out each word carefully, but she is getting it! Well, when I woke up Tuesday morning, the Lord said to me, “Your church is in K-5 of learning how to pray. Things seem slow and scary, but you are learning. How you pray today will be nothing like how you pray a year from now.”
That word from the Lord meant so much to me. He is teaching us how to pray! Grace and humility are major, foundational lessons the Lord will teach us. Are you willing to learn?
Allow the Lord to teach you lessons in grace and humility. Open your life for the Lord to teach you how to pray. I think we will find that the Lord will delight in growing us “Downward.” The beauty of it is that it will become our delight as well. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that a t the proper time he may exalt you.” 1 Peter 5:6.