God Opposes the Proud

God Opposes the Proud
By Colin Smith

"God opposes the proud..." 1 Peter 5:5 (NIV) It is worth taking a moment to let these words sink in. God opposes the proud. If God opposes me, I'm finished. What hope is there of doing anything useful for Him if He stands in our way? If God be for us, who can be against us? But if God is against us-what hope do we have? God opposes the proud. He cannot bear to see it in is His children. Arrogance will bring me under His fatherly discipline. God gives grace"...but God gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5 (NIV) We sometimes use the expression, "Money makes money." You have to have some before you can make some. Well, it's the same principle here. Humility is a grace that attracts more grace. Pride closes the door to spiritual growth. But humility opens the door of your life to more of God's grace. To the humble, God gives patience, and peace, and gentleness. The fruit of the Spirit grows in the soul of humility. Humility is the key to spiritual growth: "God gives grace to the humble." God will lift you up"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." 1 Peter 5:6 (NIV) This is a marvelous promise. God leads each of us on a path that has many twists and turns. When you are faced with surprises, disappointments, and upsets that God allows in your life, humble yourself. Accept what He allows. If you do that God will lift you up. God cares for you"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) This is one sentence with v6: "Humble yourselves... casting all your anxieties on Him for He cares for you." The proud person feels that he or she has to make things happen. The root of all worry lies in the idea that what happens is ultimately in my hands. If you think that what happens is ultimately in your hands, that's pride. None of us can add an inch to our height or an hour to our life by worrying about it. What happens is finally in the hands of God. There is a powerful insight here. If I want to deal with my anxiety, I have to start by dealing with my pride. Humility is the ultimate release from anxiety. Pride says, "What happens is up to me," and that leaves me anxious. Humility says, "Lord, everything that concerns me is in your hand," and that is the beginning of peace.