Humble Circumstances

The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower.

James 1:9-10

I grew up on the wrong side of town -- if a town of 750 people can have a right or wrong side. Although I won't say anyone in our town was rich, the railroad tracks basically divided the haves and the have-nots and we lived on the wrong side of the tracks. My parents struggled to keep food on the table for their eleven children, even with a huge garden, food stamps and a business that allowed them to buy food at wholesale prices. We were poor and the entire town, perhaps the entire county, knew it.

Yet I remember as a kid thinking that while I was not good enough for most of my classmates, I was still better than certain families in town. At least my parents worked to put food on the table and our family didn't need Special Ed for any, let alone most of our kids.

I am pretty sure this is not the kind of pride in humble circumstances that James is recommending in his letter. When we compare ourselves to others, we will always find someone to make us look good and someone to make us look bad. Our standard needs to be set higher than other people -- it needs to be Christ.

Human interpretation of what is a high or low position does not match God's. We tend to look at circumstances, actions and other outward appearances, but God looks at the heart.

We have all experienced circumstances where we may wonder where is God in this. Sometimes I can even convince others that I am humbly walking with God through the difficult times, when in reality, my pride is preventing me from doing so. Yet, in each of these circumstances, I know that God still walks beside me, holding me up. It is when I rely fully on Him that I am truly in the high position of true humility.


Heavenly Father, help me to be humble in all things, whether the world sees me as in a high position or a low position. I know that my worth comes solely from You and Your Son's sacrifice on the Cross. I want to live my life in a way that points to You and not to me. Help me to be a witness to all those around me by my life. I pray this in the name of Your Precious Son, my Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.