Arrogant vs. Humble

I have never been a fan of arrogant people. I’m working from a definition of someone who has an exaggerated sense of his or her own importance or abilities. Humble is the exact opposite of arrogant. Humble is having a modest of low estimate of one’s own importance.

A humble person has a certain attraction, while an arrogant person is a bit repulsive.

A humble person is approachable while an arrogant person is beyond approach.

I believe that as a Christ follower, I should fight with intensity the temptation to think more highly of myself than I ought. I’m who I am because of The Lord NOT because I’m something special on my own.

I came across the account of “Korah’s Rebellion” as I remembered it. Korah, a Levite rises up against Moses and Aaron. They bring 250 other men, some who were leaders, with them. It gets really ugly. Check this out…

3 They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, ‘You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?’

4 When Moses heard this, he fell face down. 5 Then he said to Korah and all his followers: ‘In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will make that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to come near him. 6 You, Korah, and all your followers are to do this: take censers 7 and tomorrow put burning coals and incense in them before the Lord. The man the Lord chooses will be the one who is holy. You Levites have gone too far!’ (Numbers 16:3-7 NIV)

Moses actually seems to remain consistent with who he is during this whole uprising. He trusts the Lord because the Lord had called him to do what he’s doing. I wonder if Moses remembered back to the desert of Midian when God first called him to lead Israel out of Egypt. Moses leadership style was one of humility. He realized that God was actually in charge and He was serving at the call of God, not for his own regard.

The Lord did show up and made it abundantly clear that He would not tolerate the arrogance and rebellion of the people against His chosen leader. In fact Moses and Aaron had to petition the Lord to forgive the people. Aaron even made atonement for them to save them from God’s wrath.

I believe that God hates arrogance, but absolutely adores humility. He can work with a humble person, but an arrogant person “knows it all” already. There have been times in my life where I’ve misbehaved and acted arrogantly and God humbled me. He can’t use me when I’m full of myself. He can use me only when I’m filled with His Spirit and His heart and there is never room for arrogance and His Spirit to dwell in the same person. Check this out…

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility towards one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ (1 Peter 5:5 NIV)

I’m reminded this morning that the Lord is attracted to a humble spirit in me. He is repulsed by arrogance. I want to daily (hourly, or minute by minute) humble myself before Him so that He can use me where ever He needs me.

Pressing On!

Dwayne