Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.
Proverbs 18:12 NIV
Humility Before Honour
According to a recent BBC report, “Canadians aren’t only polite; they’re incredibly humble too, and reluctant to take credit for even plainly heroic acts. When a gunman attacked the Canadian parliament building in October 2014, Kevin Vickers, Canada’s sergeant-at-arms, responded quickly and calmly by shooting the assailant with the handgun he keeps in his office. And while Vickers was glorified in the Canadian media, it was his humility, not his marksmanship or bravado, that was celebrated. Canadians take great pride in their humility, an oxymoron that bothers no one.”
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Pride is a word that we hear often in the world today. We are told we need to be proud of who we are, what we accomplish, our relationships, our job, our financial situation. The world tells us to celebrate who we are and what we do. As usual, the Kingdom of God turns the principles of the world on its head. Wise King Solomon noticed this, and wrote, in Proverbs 18:12: “Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honour.” Solomon noticed that the haughty, the proud, were always brought down. The proud champion soon loses to a younger, faster, tougher opponent. The person proud of his wealth at best can’t take it with him, and at worst, loses all he has gained. A downfall will come to the proud, but honour will come to the humble – if not in this life, then in the next. This is a primary principle in God’s Kingdom. Jesus, the Sovereign God, the King of kings and Lord of lords, entered this world in the most humble of circumstances and entered Jerusalem riding on a humble donkey. We are called to the same humility.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley