Proverbs 15:33. The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
What honors have you received in your life? Honors from school? From a team you were a part of? Years of service or achievement at your career? Military honors?
To be honored is to be praised, or “lifted up.” To be elevated in status. Ancient cultures were what we call honor-shame cultures. Gaining honor and keeping your honor, and your family’s honor, were of highest value.
This proverb is a bit shocking because nobody in the ancient world would have connected humility with honor. Just like today, you can be honored without being humble. In fact, in both this ancient society as in our modern society, people are often honored without being humble at all. A proud student still makes the honor roll. A pompous athlete wins the MVP trophy. The arrogant boss gets the plaque for her 20 years of loyal service to the company. Why is this? Because we honor achievements.
But God only honors humility, not achievements. God doesn’t need your achievement, nor do they impress him at all. What impresses God? What does God honor? Humble faith. The fear of the Lord.
Jesus said it this way in Luke 14 – Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Humility comes as we place ourselves below others in status, taking second (or even last) place. Humility thinks about others instead of thinking only of yourself. Humility with the fear of the Lord knows that any “honor” we achieve in this life is only because God gave us the gifts we have and the time and place we needed to do it. Others may honor your achievements, but without humility God will resist you, for the Lord hates pride but he draws near to the humble.
The upside down nature of the gospel teaches us that only by humbling ourselves and repenting of our sins can we be honored by God and forgiven. Only by following Jesus and taking last place in this life can we learn to fear the Lord, trusting him for all we need. Only by seeking to honor others can the self-centered drive for recognition and acceptance be suppressed in our hearts. Only by knowing that in Christ we are simultaneously lowered and exalted can we live a life of faith that honors Jesus as Lord.
Christ could not be exalted by the Father until he had gone as low as a human can go. From Heaven to Earth. From Earth to the grave. From king to slave. From slave to criminal. From exalted to debased. From debased to forsaken. From honored to humbled. From humbled to humiliated.
From innocent to guilty. From guilty to cursed.
Only then, only when he had reached the lowest point, cursed by God, could Jesus be honored over all creation and raised to life as king of kings and lord of lords. In Christ, this pattern is true of you and me as well. Humility must come before honor. And humility must be welcomed, pursued, and received by faith in our union with Christ, the slain Lamb on the throne.
You: To what degree are you driven by the attainment of honor through achievements?
You in Christ: You can’t be in Christ without having humility? How can knowing we are in Christ allow us to forsake the pursuit of honor and instead pursue a humble life of promoting God and others?
Christ in you: Where does Christ in you want you to welcome humility today?
Pray: Jesus, you humbled yourself for me. Help me to humble myself for you. Amen.
To Live is Christ 