"The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day." (Proverbs 4:18 NIV)
One of the beautiful realities and blessings of the Christian life is that it's one of unending growth, progress and glory! God takes you from where you are or have been in your life and begins to build you for greatness, irrespective of how low or "small" you and your life might have been prior to you becoming a Christian. The real Christian life is full of endless and limitless promotions; it's a life in the Spirit of God, who always trains and leads us in triumphant procession (2 Corinthians 2:14).
As a Christian, you should always be inspired and expectant for growth in the Lord. Our opening Scripture reveals the reality of the godly life; it says that it shines brighter and brighter--that means it's an increasingly glorious life! The glory of God can increase continually in every area of your life: in your character, personality, family, finances, business, job, and so on. You should have faith and hope for this type of life because it's what God has given to you in Christ Jesus. The Word of God gives us a "Growth and Progress Mindset"; and if that mindset is in you, it'll reflect outwardly!
Growth and progress are based on spiritual laws and principles; and these laws and principles are taught and revealed to us in the Word of God! Humility is one of the spiritual principles that guarantees your growth, progress and promotion in life. In many instances in the Bible, we're instructed to shun pride and arrogance and to be clothed with humility. We're warned that pride and arrogance result in one's life not moving forward and having many frustrations, in spite of his or her attempts to make progress. 1 Peter 5:5-6 says, "...and be clothed with humility, for 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time," (NKJV). These verses reveal the power of humility in guaranteeing that you have an increasingly glorious life, like God wants you to have. He says that pride causes God to resist and oppose a person and their life, frustrating their attempts at moving forward; but he tells us that God gives grace (the power of promotion; favour; approval) to the humble!
Psalm 138:6 shows us some important details about God's relationship with the humble and with the proud: "Though the Lord is on high, yet He regards the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar." (NKJV). This shows that God walks closely with the humble, honouring and favouring them--the humble will have a fruitful and beautiful life with God. But in contrast to His relationship with the humble, God distances Himself from those who are proud; meaning that darkness fills the life of the proud because God is Light (1 John 1:5) and the Bible says that the life of the person with ungodly character is as darkness and he doesn't know what causes him to fall and to fail in life (Proverbs 4:19).
2 Corinthians 3:18 shows us another principle for ensuring that the glory of God increases in our lives continually; it tells us that as we increase in the knowledge of God that's revealed in His Word, we're transformed from one level of glory to greater and higher levels each time. So, that's another principle for growth, progress and promotion in life. 2 Peter 1:2 also tells us that grace and peace will increase in our lives through the knowledge of God and of the Lord Jesus! Humility also has an important role in a person's increase and fruitfulness in the knowledge of God that causes growth, progress and promotion in his or her life. As I previously stated, pride causes one to walk in great spiritual darkness in their life because God distances Himself from the proud; this also means that the thoughts, knowledge and wisdom of God are hidden from those with pride and arrogance in their hearts. Proverbs 14:6 says, "A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it, but knowledge is easy to him who understands." (NKJV). A scoffer is one who mocks people and things with arrogance, which is a manifestation of pride, and the Scripture tells us that such a person will be unfruitful in their attempt to gain wisdom, knowledge and understanding because it is God who gives true and sound wisdom, knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:6).
God wants you to grow continually in your life; He wants you to increase in wisdom, knowledge and understanding. He wants your life to be full of promotions and continuous increase in grace; He wants you to have and live a beautiful life! These things are guaranteed in your life if you would do what the Scripture says: "...humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time..." (1 Peter 5:6). So, refuse to let pride and arrogance work and grow in your heart; rather, cultivate and maintain a humble heart, mind and attitude. This is what will greatly beautify your life and cause you to make unstoppable progress in and with God!
Share this Divine Update with someone else today and help them to live in the liberty and beauty of God's love, blessings and provisions.