The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn…he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. Isaiah 61:1-3

 

Most of us assume that we’re right and know more than we do. It’s called pride. Simply put, we think of ourselves as better, wiser, and more capable than we actually are.

 

Emily was frustrated with her children for losing one of her belongings. She huffed and lectured them about being more careful. The next day, she found the lost item, not where children had been playing but where she suddenly remembered she had last used it. Emily felt a rush of guilt but also something else: the quiet realization that she had been wrong. Humbled, she apologized to her children.

 

To be humbled is to be brought back to reality by seeing our actual selves. But there’s joy and freedom in humility. Our natural state is needy, but God loves to meet our needs. We don’t have to lie about who we are or pretend to be more. We can face the truth about ourselves–the good and beautiful, the flawed and weak, coming with all of it to a welcoming God.

 

Scripture tells that Jesus came to free us from the captivity of our deceptive pride. “The Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed,” the Bible declares (Isaiah 61:1).

 

God resists us when we walk in pride. But when we soften our hearts and come to Him, we find His gracious favor! As the Bible book of James says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

 

We don’t have to hide our poverty, despair, or captivity to pride from God.