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            God’s divine plan for our life is directly opposite to the world’s plan for this life—Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.”  Our happiness in this life, and the assurance of eternal life in the next, depends upon getting into God’s will during our life here on earth.  Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”

            We were born with a nature that is opposite to what God intended.  His ways and plans are the only true ones, and the only position of trust on God that brings happiness and contentment; where burdens are taken away, where our needs are met and our desires fulfilled.  We cannot see this at first, however, and the pathway to that position is often not what we expect it to be.

            God’s plan is the pathway of humility—a humble attitude that we often do not really understand—but it is of major importance.  It is so important the apostle says 1 Peter 5:5 “be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.’”  No one would want God to resist them; and everyone needs His grace to forgive them.

            Opposite to a coat of humility around us, is the world’s attitude of self-importance, pride, conceit, arrogance, and superiority.  The world’s way is to have a fine reputation; be looked up to by others; to have financial resources beyond the average; to attain a high position in business; or to be successful in any endeavor that would lead to those things; but the Lord’s way is to 1 Peter 5:6 “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.”

            God’s plan is opposite—which is to go down instead of up; to desire a low position and not a high one; to be content with small pay rather than strive for high salaries; to have enough money instead of a huge surplus; and to be out of the spotlight instead of the center of attention.  The Pharisees loved money, Jesus said—Luke 16:15 “but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”

            God’s plan of life is the example of the Lord Jesus—a life of true humility.  His entrance into the world was the theme of His entire life—born in a manger with no attendants or any special attention.  He had no crib for a bed, no custom-made blanket, and not a pillow for His head.  The Son of God—the Maker of Heaven and earth—born in a stable.  Compared to a baby born to royalty, the contrast is vast indeed!

            The Ruler of Heaven and earth came into this world in the humblest of surroundings.  All through His life, His clothing was that of the common people; His companions and friends were poor, humble, uneducated, working-class people.  Modest homes like Mary, Martha, and Lazarus had, is where He met and relaxed with friends.  No one gave Him any special attention.  Isaiah 53:2 “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.”

            His disciples had a tough time understanding that the greatest thing in the sight of God, was a humble life and no reputation in the eyes of the world.  When the disciples wondered who of them was the greatest, Jesus explained Matthew 20:25-27, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.  And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave.”

            The humblest and lowest position anyone could take, is the greatest and highest in the sight of God.  From this we can readily see how God’s plan for our lives is completely opposite to the World’s plan for this life.  When a man wanted to follow Jesus, He told him Luke 9:58 “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

            Jesus did not even have a rented room, and no place to call home—but it was a true position of humility.  We all have nice homes and splendid furnishings—for which we thank the Lord everyday—but what a marvelous example the Son of God left for us.  So many worry about what people think of them, but Jesus had no concern for that.

            God will take all pride out of our heart also, and we will not be concerned about what others think of us, or how they treat us, because we will have only one desire—to be pleasing to God, and to know what He thinks of us.  Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees John 5:44 “How is it possible for you to believe, while you receive glory from one another and have no desire for the glory that comes from the only God?”

            The only thing worthwhile is to really know God, and what He thinks of us—as revealed in His Word.  We need not care what others say, think, or do—because Romans 8:31 “If God be for us, who can be against us?”  We should be concerned only with the honor that comes from Him.  If God is pleased with us, that is all that matters.

            Spiritual men of the Bible showed this true humility.  Moses had been adopted into the ruling family of Egypt.  Even though he had everything the human heart could possibly desire, when he could decide the direction his life would take, he refused all that money, opulence, power, and influence the throne of Egypt would offer him.

            Hebrews 11:24-26 “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.”

            It is amazing how Moses was taught by God, and how he was brought to such a humble position.  Instead of having the highest position, he had no position.  He had to start all over again—living by faith in God.  Every night he went to bed without anything in for breakfast.  That is a very humiliating position.

            The human heart we began life with, likes to have plenty of everything on hand, and more than enough surplus to fall back on.  Moses had everything to fall back on while he was in Egypt, but he chose to enter a life of humility and faith.  He wanted to be with common people; he chose a life of deprivation and humiliation; he chose to be tempted and tested; and to be in a position where people would complain to him about everything. 

            Moses chose that life; and a wise choice it was—Hebrews 11:26 “because he deemed the reproaches which he might meet with in the service of the Christ to be greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt; for he fixed his gaze on the coming reward”—Moses received eternal life!  What a reward that was!

            All the time that Moses followed God’s plan for his life, he never really suffered any harm; and he enjoyed good health and strength all during the journey.  Deuteronomy 34:7 “Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.”  He was strong and vigorous his entire life—which is the result of following God’s plan for his life.

            Elijah was a prophet of God but lived a humble life of faith.  He did not have fine clothes, but wore the attire of common people—like that of John the Baptist.  Elijah was in no position to make any money for his living or to have financial security for the future.  When a famine started, he had to live by a stream and depend on God to feed him—by ravens.

            Morning and evening they brought him food and he drank from the brook.  When the stream dried up, God sent him to an even more humiliating place—he had to board with a poor widow.  Elijah did not complain, but just trusted God each day for the needs of that day—this went on for over three years.  It was truly living by faith.

            The nation of Israel was led into a wilderness, and they were humbled to where they hungered and thirsted often, so that God could perfect their spirituality.  It was the opposite of the world’s plan for life, but it worked as God had planned, because it led them to a land of milk and honey where they had everything in abundance.

            The example of Job is another—he had prosperity; a fine reputation, and was asked his advice by the people of the town.  He had financial security; plenty of livestock, friends, and everything else a human being could desire; but he would have landed in Hell had he remained in that condition.  The end result of human prosperity is always the Lake of Fire.  Psalm 92:7 “When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed forever.”

            It is the people who are willing to be corrected; to be humbled; and who do not seek a reputation, that God can do something with and lead to eternal life.  It is that we might eventually be dead to self, and dead to all that pertains to this world’s plan of life.  Our life must be revolutionized, and the pathway to that revolution, is the pathway of humility.

            It is to be thought nothing of by the world; to be a “zero” in today’s terms; to have nothing to speak of financially; to experience trials, tests, and temptations; to be persecuted, made fun of, ridiculed, found fault with, and considered of no account by the world.

            If we have placed our life in God’s hands, and have allowed Him to have full control of our life—and we are willing to meet every circumstance of life in His way, we will eventually enjoy prosperity—having everything we could desire, but receiving it in a scriptural way and by following God’s plan for our life.

            It is Proverbs 10:22 “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.”  The most important aspect, however, is the final reward of eternal life in Heaven.  That is what the apostle meant when he said James 2:5 “Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?”