Lack of Humility Takes You To Humiliation

Principles of Humility:

1) Humility is essential for blessing.
2) Humility is fertile and fruitful.
3) Humility, if not careful, may give birth to pride. 
4) Lack of humility brings about humiliation.

If we are not humble, others will humiliate us and we will be humbled. 

Genesis 16:8
And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

The angel asked Hagar where she was coming from and where she was going? At a time when she lost her humility, she was humiliated. She received honour but pride rose in and gave way for humiliation.

A person who runs away from humility will end up in a desert. God had honoured Hagar but because of her pride, she ended up in the desert. She had to run away. She lost the meaning of life. There was no one to protect her. When you go into pride, there will be no one to protect you. Hagar lost herself. She lost her destiny, her direction, her dreams.

This is a great lesson for us. If pride gets in and you fall and you run from there, then everything is lost. Sense is lost, everything is lost. So it is important to always stay humble.

Luke 14:11
For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Luke 18:14
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The Pharisees were a religious sect in Judaism. They strictly followed rules and stood zealously for the Lord. In the times of Jesus, the tax collectors were hated because they collected tax for the Roman government and extorted the people. Sinners and tax collectors were put in the same category. 

In the temple, there was a Pharisee, who according to the people did the works of God, was righteous and had their seal of approval and then there was a tax collector, who was hated and deemed a sinner by the people. 

The Pharisee exalted himself in prayer, recounting his deeds and asserting his self righteousness. Whereas the tax collector beat his chest and cried, without even lifting his head up. He humbled himself in the presence of God. He confessed his sins and humbled himself and prayed. To this, Jesus said in Luke 18:14, that rather than the Pharisee it was the tax collector who went home justified before God. 

We must have an attitude of humility. We must lower ourselves before God.

We read about king Nebuchadnezzar in the Old Testament. We can call him the embodiment of pride.

Kings are lifted up and praised by the people, and their ministers. This gives place to pride in their heart. This is what happened to Nebuchadnezzar. Forgetting that he is a mere human, he gave orders that people should worship him and no other God. The God of Heaven saw this and turned him into an animal who lived in the wild like other animals on four legs. He lived like that for seven years. After seven years, his eyes were opened and he came back to his senses.

Daniel on the other hand was filled with wisdom.

James 3:17
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

The wisdom from above is beautiful. The wisdom that comes from God makes us humble. Nebuchadnezzar exalted himself and so God humbled him but Daniel humbled himself and God exalted him and showed him things yet to come through visions. That's the extent of wisdom He was filled with. 

When we receive authority, when we get a position, when we receive riches, when God blesses us and raises us, can we be humble?

Several times, when we receive blessings, without us even knowing, pride can creep into us. That is where our fall starts. That is what happened to Nebuchadnezzar and the Pharisee who both exalted themselves.

James 4:6
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

The examples in the Bible are for us to learn and gain understanding.