Grace for the Humble
“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1Pet.5:5; Jas.4:6).
This well-known verse is sometimes misunderstood and viewed like a “how-to” verse. If you will think more humbly of yourself, God will give you more grace.
Although God no doubt deeply appreciates true humility and is not too keen on human pride, this verse was probably not intended to be a prescription for receiving more grace. Rather, it is merely descriptive of the way things actually work in the Kingdom (and perhaps a little insight into the character of God).
The simple fact is that a proud person believes they are capable of accomplishing what they want to by their own effort, or that they would rather earn God’s favor than receive it freely. With that as a context, God can hardly offer the person much of anything. They will not see the gift for what it is, not receive it well.
True humility is about knowing our real size. It has nothing to do with self-abasement or self-deprecation. Humility is essentially accepting the truth that I am a very small creature, flawed and severely limited, who has a wonderful, loving, unlimited God. That puts our relationship in perspective, and opens my heart for receiving whatever God has for me.
Knowing who I am and whose I am matters a lot!