He will lift you up

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. – James 4.10

I really admire those rare Christians who manifests themselves in meekness and true humility. Their sweet, godly, and quiet demeanour show a real knowledge of who they are and who God is. 

Most of us don’t act that way. Maybe I shouldn’t paint with so broad a brush. I only know about me, and I know that I like to be honoured and lifted up and recognised. If I don’t get it I am liable to seek it for myself. My self-lifting will fail because I will always fail. 

But if the Lord lifts me up – what a difference. He is able to keep me lifted up because He is able – full stop. 

We are warned at one point about how when we go to eat we always seek the lower place at the table, not the position of honour. That is how life should be. We never take the place of honour, but let God put us there. 

Only One deserves to be exalted and glorified in my life. Only Christ should be elevated. Paul wrote the to the church in Corinth that God normally uses the weak and the foolish and the abased to do His work. He does that so that no one has any room to brag on themselves. We all know deep down that there is not much in us worthy of being lifted up. If we all acted on what we know about ourselves humility would be the only possible result. 

Then, and only then, are we in the place where God can lift us up.