“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (ESV)

“Do you need some help?” I asked my struggling two-year-old. “No, I’m ok,” she replied, in an almost sing-song voice as she slid backwards for, what seemed like, the hundredth time. Her attempts that day to climb a steep bank of loose rocks at Eklutna lake were comical. The struggle continued with her making little-to-no progress at all. Again, I offered, “Are you sure you don’t need help?” She continued to insist, “No, I’m okay, guys.” This scenario of help offered and rejected went on for several minutes. While it was cute to watch her independence blossom, I waited just feet away with a capable hand to pull her up to more level ground if she said the word. Isn’t it strange that sometimes our insistence to do it ourselves often hinders our progress?

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Our Scripture today tells us to humble ourselves. This seems like an odd statement in relation to the “rest” we have been discussing. What does humbling ourselves have to do with rest? Well, it turns out, quite a bit. There are several reasons we may not rely on God and rest in him. Most of these reasons seem to stem from one word: pride.  

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Pride is the opposite of humility. In a society that seems to thrive on self-promotion, busyness, and self-sufficiency, we are bombarded with messages that insist that being humble will get you nowhere. Pride is at least part of the reason our to-do lists are a mile long and we stress ourselves out, persisting in doing it all ourselves. We do not want to be thought incapable or incompetent, so we run ourselves ragged, busy every moment of our lives, struggling and fighting to accomplish everything on our own.  

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What we fail to realize is that our pride is what makes us angry and frustrated when our busyness and pace of life is not sustainable.  We wonder why we cannot do it all, while God is standing nearby like a parent patiently waiting with a hand offered for our surrender so we can come to rest in his capable one.  

As with most things in God’s Kingdom, God says the opposite of society. God’s way is to bring yourself low and come under his authority, bringing all your cares and worries to him. Let him build you up. Let go of your worry. He knows all your needs and cares for you.  

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Why does humbling ourselves feel so hard? I sometimes feel like it is an admission of failure. Somewhere along the line, I have believed a lie that I should do things to impress God. “Look, God, I’m using this gift you gave me,” or “God, aren’t you proud of me? No one can call me lazy! I am busy all the time.”  As with most lies, there’s just enough truth to sound good, while still missing the mark of God’s heart for us.  

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I know when I have reached a breaking point and surrender to God saying, “I can’t do this!” He gently replies, “I know,” and things instantly get better. The situation may be the same, but the posture of my heart has changed. That is the point. There is a calming effect when I acknowledge that God is in control, even when I think I am. There is freedom in being honest with the God who already knows I cannot do it all. With this freedom, I can rest – rest from being chained to my list of accomplishments and trying to impress people. God waits so patiently for us to turn to him in humility and say, “God, I can’t do this.” He already knows, and he loves this moment you realize you need him, because he created you to rely on him.  

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If you were honest with yourself today, in what area of your life are you striving? Self-promoting? Trying to impress by doing it all? Have you considered the source of your drive to handle life on your own? God stands waiting to take your hand. You can rest. He cares for you.

God, I thank you that you are so patient with me. When I stubbornly and pridefully try to handle all that life throws at me in my own strength, you are the quiet strength beside me offering a hand when I finally surrender. I love how you love us, God. Help me to surrender quicker each day, humble myself and lean on you fully. Amen.