Humbled by Grace
All we long for is found in a moment-by-moment relationship with Jesus Christ. Yet because of indwelling sin, our hearts are constantly tempted to draw near to anything or anyone other than Him. Left to ourselves, we drift—not toward holiness but toward self-reliance and pride.
How we live and make decisions reveals where our trust truly lies. Are we relying on the Lord or ourselves? If we are honest, much of our restlessness, anxiety, and frustration stems from a prideful posture of self-dependence rather than humble dependence upon God. And while we may not verbally admit our pride, it often appears in a “double-minded” (James 4:10) life—one that professes Christ, yet pursues selfish ambition.
Jesus warns us about such a life. It’s like building a house on sand (Matthew 7:24–27). It may appear stable for a while, but it cannot withstand the storms. When we fail to slow down and draw near to God, we neglect Christ and the sufficiency of His cross. We live as if we can make it on our own.
But the truth we must grasp is this: a prideful life quickly chokes out a Gospel-centered life. Pride turns our focus inward—toward self-fulfillment, self-advancement, self-justification. It blinds us to the glory of Christ and the beauty of His redeeming love.
Pride is like a weed—left alone, it spreads rapidly, suffocating everything good. It consumes what was once healthy and beautiful in our souls.
Yet we are not without hope.
A life of Gospel-shaped humility is not only possible—it is what the Holy Spirit is producing in every true believer. Humility is not something we muster by willpower; it is the fruit of grace. It grows when we fix our eyes on Christ, not ourselves. As we consider His finished work on the cross and yield to the ongoing work of the Spirit, our pride is put to death, and humility takes root.
That is the heart of Gospel living: shifting our gaze from self to Christ, from performance to grace, from ambition to worship. We begin to think less of ourselves, not by devaluing our worth, but by treasuring Christ above all. When He becomes greater in our eyes, we become rightly small—and that is where true freedom is found.
The Apostle Paul said it this way: Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). The Spirit leads us away from self-glory and into the grace and power of Jesus. In doing so, He opens our eyes to both the depth of our sin and the beauty of Christ’s sufficiency.
Jesus Himself declared, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14). The call of the Gospel is a call to humility—not as a prerequisite for grace, but as a result of it.
So today, tomorrow, and every day thereafter, let us cast aside our selfish pride and humble ourselves before the Lord. He gives more grace. As we draw near to Him—by faith, through His Word, in prayer—He draws near to us. And in His nearness, we grow in humility, holiness, and joy through the power of the Holy Spirit.
In a world that prizes self-promotion, Jesus calls us to self-denial. In a culture that glorifies pride, the Gospel cultivates humility. So let us daily draw near—not in our strength, but in the strength He provides. And as we do, we will find that the way down in humility is genuinely the way up in grace.
Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
