Choosing God’s Way in a Self-Driven World

“He has brought down rulers from their thrones and raised up the humble.” Luke 1:52 (NCV)

God always gives me a choice, and one of the most important choices I’ll make is whether to take his path for my life or to make my own way. And the truth is, following God’s plan for life takes humility.

It takes humility to say, “God, I’m going to go with your plan, not my plan; I’m going your way, not my way.”

Pride says, “Forget you, God. I have my plans, dreams, and ambitions. I’m going to do what I want to do.”

But the Bible urges us over and over again to choose humility over pride. James 4:6 says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (GNT). And Proverbs 18:12 says, “Before honor is humility” (NKJV). Then James 4:10 promises, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor” (NLT).  

His Word tells me that all things start with humility on my part.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, knew this was true. She said, “He has done mighty deeds by his power. He has scattered the people who are proud and think great things about themselves. He has brought down rulers from their thrones and raised up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with nothing” (Luke 1:51-53 NCV).

This is an amazing piece of poetry—and it paints the picture of how God works in ways that are opposite to my natural human instincts.

Mary wasn’t educated, but she knew God and knew his Word. And she knew that she wanted his blessings. So she humbled herself and chose to take his path for her life.

So am I proudly following my own path? Or have I humbled myself and committed myself to following God’s path instead?

In summary:

One of the most important choices in life is whether to follow God’s path or my own—and that choice requires humility. Pride insists on control, pursuing personal plans and ambitions, but humility says, “God, your way is better than mine.” Scripture makes it clear that God opposes the proud but gives grace and honor to the humble. Mary modeled this truth beautifully when she praised God for lifting up the humble and bringing down the proud, showing how He works in ways that reverse human expectations. Like Mary, I’m called to trust God’s wisdom over my own and walk His path with a humble heart, knowing that true blessing and purpose begin there.

Bottom line:

When I humbly surrender my plans and choose God’s path over my own, He will guide, strengthen, and ultimately lift me to the place He’s prepared for me—one far greater than anything I could achieve on my own.

Next Step:

My next wisest step is to practice daily surrender with intentional humility—begin each day by asking, “Lord, what do You want me to do today?” and aligning my plans, decisions, and leadership influence with that guidance. This also means modeling humility as strength: being transparent about learning, inviting God’s direction in my leadership moments, and helping others see that true success comes not from control, but from trust and obedience.