A difficult concept - humility

This week's study is one that we all need to listen to....don't let it go in one ear and out the other! (Grin)
Aren't we humans something? We can get all puffed up with pride about the silliest things.....we can get proud about how attractive we look -- without giving a thought to the Creator Who made us....we can get puffed up with pride about how many people like us and want to be around us, be our friends -- without taking the time to be the best friend we can be.....we can get all prideful about our belongings and our toys -- and not breathe the first "thank you" to the Lord Who has blessed us with all of our possessions.... the list goes on.

Yes, Satan loves the fact that we fall into the sin of pride so easily! And he probably got really bent out of shape when Peter wrote our focus passage for this week. And if you believe C. S. Lewis' tale in "The Screwtape Letters," he gets bent out of shape every time a believer reads this passage and is determined to do better!

Let's dive in!

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,“God opposes the proud    but shows favor to the humble.”
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. (I Peter 5:5-6)

Our being so prideful about things that we had nothing to do with is similar to a paradox.....and there are paradoxes in the Bible. The dictionary says a paradox is: a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory but in reality expresses a possible truth.
Here is an example, and it's one that Jesus said:

The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matthew 23:11-12)

Ummm, doesn't that sound like it's contradicting the first part, by the second part? That's a paradox. Doesn't seem to follow common sense. Doesn't sound logical. Not by our human standards. But by God's standards, it makes perfect sense.
The world thinks that statement is unbelievable. There are many people in this world who may perform humble acts without humbling themselves..... the politician who bends down to kiss a baby, or who makes a great show of helping the elderly person cross the street, has a motive of appearing humble. He wants to win the election -- that's how he will be exalted.
Most of the popular books on the "bestsellers" list today have to do with the world's view: how to exalt yourself; how to win friends and be successful; how to make your mark and be powerful in the corporate world; how to win, win, win. But isn't that just the opposite of what Jesus is telling us?

So, if acts of humility aren't always true, and the world is whispering in our ear about winning and being popular, what can we do about pride? Pride is probably the biggest motivator of activities in the world today! John identified it as one of the three major motivators of us humans:

For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. (I John 2:16-17)

"He (or she, my addition here) who humbles himself will be exalted"..... For us as Christians, that can't just be a phrase that passes in one ear and out the other. It needs to be something that we consider carefully; it needs to be something that we try to live by. If we will humble ourselves, and trust God to exalt us in the way HE chooses, then it truly will happen. He has stated this clearly in His Word. His whole plan for men and women is to save us and bring us into eternity for exaltation and for His glory..... it's His job to do the exalting -- it's our job to do the humbling!

So, how do we do this? How do we deal with our pride? Stay tuned, and we will study this, this week!