Stop Quarrels with Humility and Grace

In James 4:6-7 I read, “‘God is against the proud, but he gives his grace to the humble.’ So give yourselves completely to God.” (NCV)

Because of the COVID-19 quarantine, many families have the opportunity to spend more time together. But that also means there is an increased chance they will get on each other’s nerves. Let’s be honest, even when we love someone dearly, constant, close proximity can lead to friction. And it’s often because of pride.

In my own life, there are times when I’ve been so prideful that I couldn’t compromise on something, even though I knew I should have. There have also been times when I was in an argument where I knew I was wrong but just couldn’t admit it. I am full of pride, and that’s why I have conflict in my life.

“‘God is against the proud, but he gives his grace to the humble.’ So give yourselves completely to God” (James 4:6-7 NCV).

God declares war on pride, ego, arrogance, and selfishness. Any time pride rears its head I’m on the opposite side of God.

God doesn’t look at pride and just say, “Oh, that’s a little petty.” He openly opposes people who are prideful. God declares war on ego.

You may have already noticed this, but God has a unique way of engineering circumstances that deflate your ego. It’s dangerous to be in opposition to God. When I’m on a collision course with the Creator of the universe, I’m going to lose.

If pride causes quarrels, then that means the opposite is true, too. Humility can stop quarrels. The cure for quarrels is humility. Every time I’m humble, I will get along better with others.

James 4 says God gives grace to the humble. Grace is the power to change. If you want to stop the fighting in your life, then you need grace. And there’s only one way to get grace: Be humble. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

So I need to humble myself, and then give myself completely to God.

Giving myself completely to God means I’ve surrendered everything to him, including my pride. Humble myself so that I can experience freedom from quarreling and conflict.

In summary, God is against the proud, but he will give grace to the humble. So it’s best to give myself completely to God. Any constant or close proximity to others can lead to friction. And it’s often because of pride on my part. There are times when I’ve been so prideful that I couldn’t compromise or times when I was in an argument where I knew I was wrong but just couldn’t admit it. Naturally I am full of pride, and that’s why I have conflict in my life. God declares war on pride, ego, arrogance, and selfishness. Any time pride rears its head in my life, I’ll be on the opposite side of God. God doesn’t look at pride and just say, “Oh, that’s a little petty.” He openly opposes people who are prideful. God has a unique way of engineering circumstances that deflate your ego. So it’s dangerous to be in opposition to God. So if pride causes quarrels, then that means the opposite is true, that humility can stop quarrels. James 4 says God gives grace to the humble and grace is the power to change. There’s only one way to get grace and it's to be humble. God will resist the proud but give grace to the humble. So I need to humble myself, and then give myself completely to God. Giving myself completely means I’ve surrendered everything to him, including my pride. 

Father you have re-emphasised the benefits of being humble. I want to live my life with integrity, humility and generosity. I ask for help from the Holy Spirit to remind me of this as I face everything in life. I ask you today for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. I will trust in you to provide my future job role. These things I pray in your Son Jesus’ name, amen.