“God opposes the proud
   but gives grace to the humble.

(James 4:6)

Have you ever come across a proud person?

Of course you have, in fact most of us can be proud ourselves from time to time.  A proud person knows that he or she has things under control; they know the answers to the questions and really don’t need help from anyone.  Proud people don’t often serve others, unless they do so to be noticed, and they often have the attitude that others should serve them.

A humble person on the other hand puts the interests of others ahead of their own interests.  They care about their neighbors and desire to see them do well.  They can admit when they don’t know something, and they are willing to serve rather than to be served.

God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble because the proud man has no need of God; he has everything figured out on his own.  God gives grace to the humble because the humble man gives grace to those around him. God did not place us on this earth so that we could simply be self-satisfied and contribute little or nothing to those around us; He put us here to glorify Him by serving and blessing our neighbor.

Where’s the grace, you ask?  Where’s the humility is God’s response.