Humble Before God

"'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
1 Peter 5:5b-7

The Bible says that Moses was the most humble man in the world. I have often wondered exactly what that meant. He was not weak, he was a strong and passionate leader.  He wasn't fearful, he led the children of Israel through incredibly difficult things and continued to trust God. So what exactly is humility before God?
    Humility does not indicate weakness. It doesn't mean that we cry all the time or walk around with our eyes lowered to express our humility. The opposite of humility is pride. I think many things that start as outward expressions of humility often become pride. We can become proud of the fact that we pray a lot, or we serve the poor, or we minister at church. You see, humility is a matter of the heart, not outward expressions. In this case it is absolutely true that what is in our hearts will manifest itself outwardly. If we are truly humble people, we will express it through our actions..
    Humility before God is simply recognizing our position. Some would say that they are: "Just a sinner, saved by grace." Although this is true, it does not reflect our position in Christ. We are more than conquerors. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places. We have the same authority that God used when he raised Christ from the dead. All this has been given to us by God. So humility before him is taking a thankful stance before him. Without Christ, we would be destined for destruction, living a powerless life. But with him, we have been given incredible blessings, positions, and futures.
    Humility then, is being thankful to God for what he has done for us, recognizing our position in Christ, and walking in the fear of the Lord. This is far beyond knowledge, it is nurtured by our relationships with God. I ask God everyday, to make me more humble. I do not want the things I do to become driven by pride. Search your own heart. If there is any pride there, offer it to God and allow him to cleanse you. It's a continuing process that will give way to eternal blessings. It is God who will honor us. We must remain humble before him.