God Humbles Us

We are all aware of how God humbled His own Son and sent Him to save us from eternal death. In obedience to His Father, Jesus willingly gave up the glory and comfort of being with Him and came to dwell among us as our brother. Just as God humbled His Son to fulfil His saving purpose on earth, He continues to humble us in order to carry out His will in our lives and in the world.

That is why Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Merely reciting this prayer without a humbled heart has no effect; therefore, God often allows circumstances that humble us so we may genuinely pray this and be instruments of His will. To grasp this truth, we must ask ourselves: are we submitting ourselves when God is seeking to humble us?

Pride Comes Before Fall

Many believers struggle with the question: Why do the wicked prosper and seem to be blessed? The Psalmist also wrestled with this question but ultimately found clarity, which he recorded in the following verses:

In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God. – Psalm 10:4 (NIV)

Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you cast them down to ruin.
How suddenly are they destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors! – Psalm 73:18–19 (NIV)

Even though Scripture reveals the final end of the wicked, many believers today still envy their temporary success and lose sight of God and His truth. Instead of standing firm, they hide behind falsehood (Isaiah 28:15) and continue to question why God allows the wicked to thrive while the righteous suffer.

However, unlike those who fall into deception, the Psalmist brought his questions honestly before God (Psalm 73:12–14). Then he realised that such thoughts are misleading and cause many believers to drift away from God (Psalm 73:15). Through this revelation, he came to understand that worldly prosperity is like a slippery slope, ultimately leading to destruction. The New Testament echoes this truth, warning that a love for money leads people astray and brings ruin (1 Timothy 6:10).

Grace Of God Swallows Pride

Apostle Paul was at the risk of becoming proud because of the extraordinary revelations he had received from God. To prevent him from being exalted beyond measure, God allowed a thorn in his flesh. Though Paul earnestly prayed for its removal, God chose not to take it away. Instead, He gave Paul abundant grace—sufficient not only to endure the thorn but also to keep him from becoming conceited (2 Corinthians 12:6–9).

Similarly, when God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, they grew proud of being His chosen people. Rather than humbly acknowledging His love and grace that delivered them, they boasted about how God defeated their enemies. To correct their pride and help them recognise His care and provision, God humbled them in the wilderness. The Scriptures urge us to learn from their experience—not to take God’s humbling lightly, but to see it as a loving act of discipline. His grace enables us to overcome pride.

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. – Deuteronomy 8:3–5 (NIV)

Believers’ Response

When God humbles His people to guide them on the right path, believers often misinterpret their trials as attacks from the devil. Instead of discerning God’s hand, they pray for deliverance from the enemy and his schemes. This tendency reflects a deeper issue—many believers are more conscious of the devil’s activity than of God’s presence. Even the disciples of Jesus made this mistake; when Jesus walked on water, they immediately feared, thinking it was a ghost. Our first reaction often reveals what fills our hearts. If we want to respond rightly to God, our thoughts must be centred on Him, and our hearts must be filled with love for Him.

In the wilderness, when God allowed His people to experience hunger, He also provided manna. Yet the Israelites longed to return to Egypt for familiar and more palatable food. Likewise, when God humbles us, we are often tempted to return to our former lifestyles and old associations. Instead of seeking God’s purpose behind the humbling, we look for quick fixes to escape His discipline, relying on our own ways and resources.

Today, many believers unknowingly hinder the work of God in others’ lives, especially during difficult times. Under the guise of love and help, the devil offers counterfeit comforts through well-wishers in the church. While the early church shared all they had equally, modern believers tend to hoard their possessions and give sparingly to the needy—earning labels like “philotherapists”, meaning helpers who give from their surplus without true sacrifice.

When God wants to teach a believer through illness, the church might connect them with a doctor or nurse within the congregation for free or easy treatment. In doing so, the believer learns to depend on people rather than seeking healing through faith and the stripes of Christ. They end up thanking God for a caring congregation rather than turning to Him for deeper spiritual growth.

Similarly, when someone faces financial hardship as part of God’s refining process, wealthy and charitable members step in to fill the need. While generosity is commendable, it can become a crutch that prevents the believer from trusting God. Worse still, some direct the needy to known financiers, pushing them into debt and interest burdens. Rarely do we find someone encouraging these souls to trust in God for provision, healing, and peace—the kind of peace that cannot be taken away.

Therefore, it is essential to seek God’s will before stepping in to help someone. We must discern whether God is using their time of lack to teach or shape them, or if He is calling us to provide for their needs. Often, people lack the courage to patiently wait for God to fulfil His purpose in their lives. In such cases, God may be calling us not to intervene with temporary relief, but to encourage them to remain steadfast and focused on Him, rather than unintentionally distracting them from His work.

Hence, it is important to ask God His will before helping someone. We should discern the will of God, whether He wants to teach them something in their scarcity, or He wants us to meet what they lack. Apparently, everyone lacks the boldness to wait for God to accomplish His purpose in them, and God expects us to encourage them by standing firm and waiting on Him rather than distorting their focus from God with temporary favours.

Almsgiving Draws God’s Favour

Many in the church believe that by helping others, they will gain God’s favour. But this mindset is no different from the world’s—doing good works in pursuit of salvation or “mukti.” If helping others could secure God’s favour, what was the purpose of Christ’s sacrifice? Why did God send His Son to die for our sins if salvation could be earned through almsgiving?

This misunderstanding stems partly from the story of Cornelius:

Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.
The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. – Acts 10:4–5 (NIV)

It’s important to note that God did not send Peter to reward Cornelius for his generosity, but to correct his misunderstanding. Through Peter, God sent an urgent, life-saving message: It is not your deeds, but My grace alone that saves.

Unfortunately, many kind and generous people today are misled into thinking that almsgiving alone is enough. Instead of guiding needy souls toward God’s saving grace, they end up offering temporary relief that may hinder deeper spiritual transformation.

A Case Study

God intended to glorify His name through the life of a man who was lame from birth. However, instead of directing him toward God, the so-called generous people—who lacked the true heart to give—taught him to beg. This attitude still prevails among believers today. Many who are unwilling to genuinely help the needy instead teach them to plead for support from others, rather than seek their help from God.

It is striking to read that this lame man was placed at the entrance of the temple to beg, effectively barring him from entering into God’s presence. His focus had shifted from looking to God to looking to people. When he saw Peter and John, he expected nothing more than a few coins. His physical condition had also crippled his mindset—he could not imagine anything beyond alms, nor could he consider using his hands for any work while his legs were weak.

Often, when one door closes, God opens another. But many fail to perceive these open doors. Instead, they are taught by others to remain at the closed gates, continuing to fast and pray for their reopening, while overlooking the opportunities God has already made available. But Peter and John did something radically different from what the man expected:

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. –  Acts 3:6–8 (NIV)

In the previous section, we saw how believers can unintentionally keep a soul from truly seeking God by simply giving material help. While this may sound like discouraging charity, the heart of the message is this: as forgiven children of God, we are called to offer something far greater—the name and power of Jesus. We can only give what we have. If we give only material things, it reflects a lack in our spiritual lives. Do we have Christ in us—to offer Him to others?

When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. – Acts 3:9-10 (NIV)

The reaction of the crowd teaches us something remarkable. Those who once taught him to beg and denied him entry into worship still identified him as a beggar—even after his transformation into a worshipper. Similarly, we must be cautious of the help we receive. When God blesses us and lifts us up, some people will still refer to us by our past, reminding others that we once begged for money or free treatment from them.

So we are left with a personal question:
Do we want to be remembered as the ones who once begged—or as the forgiven children of God, healed, restored, and worshipping in His presence?

The choice is ours. We should always be ready to humble ourselves and learn His lessons when God humbles us and teaches us. Peter reiterated the above theme in the verses below;

God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. – 1 Peter 5:5b-6 (NIV)