Lowly Goodness

“A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.” (Pr 29:23 AV)

The first part of this proverb is a bit concerning.  Very truthful.  And a great warning for us all.  Not only is a warning, but it is a good thing.  It is a good thing to be brought low.  Being low is far more peaceful than being full of pride.  Failure is not comfortable.  But failure is necessary.  Failure brings us back to reality.  Failure shows us our limits.  Failure is where we come to the end of ourselves.  Humility that follows is the correction for the sin of pride.  It is a good thing to know we are prone to failure.  It is a good thing to learn what we are not and what we cannot do.  Failure is a good thing.   Being brought to our lowest Self is cleansing.  It is a reboot.  It is truth, raw and unfiltered, that cries out for a merciful God to forgive, reconcile, and regenerate the broken will.  Being brought low is the only way to new heights.

As much as we don’t like to admit it, there were times we were brought to the end of ourselves.  We thought we could handle something, and we could not.  We had dreams of great conquest only to find we could not accomplish those goals as we thought.  There were times we tried to do something physical only to realize we were mortal.  The pain medications were not too far away.  There were times when we thought we knew what we were doing, only to cause more harm than good.  Those times were hard lessons.  They were humbling lessons.  What gives me pause is thinking that we can live above that.  We think that there will come a time when we ‘arrive’.  But that will never be the case.  At least not on this side of glory.  Bruised knees, scars, and less than perfect x-rays all testify to those times we thought we were something that we were not.  Childhood teaches us we are not invincible.  This is a lesson we never truly grasp.  Not even in adulthood.

Being brought low is not comfortable.  But when we are, it is almost liberating.  When we are brought to the end of ourselves, it is there that God becomes very real.  We cannot do what we thought we could do.  We cannot solve what we thought we could solve.  Being brought low means we are completely and totally dependent on a gracious God.  We are in the pit and cannot climb out.  Pride will keep us there.  Pride will try to find a foothold where we can climb out ourselves.  Even if there isn’t one, we will look and hope.  Humility looks at the rim and knows there is no way out but by the grace of God.  Being brought low is a good thing.  It is cleansing.  It is where honesty meets ability.  It is where dependability meets hope.  Being brought low is the best place for the saint to be.  It is not a bad thing.  It is a perfect thing.