Lesson 23: God's Sovereignty Makes Us More Humble

 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 - "So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

As we read in our last lesson, God permitted Paul to have a few difficulties in his life. Not only that, but He purposely allowed Paul to be tormented by an actual demon. Why? To keep Paul from becoming conceited, or in other words, prideful.

If Paul would become arrogant it would ruin the work God was going to do through him. Therefore, out of love, God kept Paul humble for his own benefit through a serious difficulty, even a demonic one. God also allows difficulties to humble us today too. Whether we like it or not, whether we believe it or not, being humbled is one of the best things that could ever happen to us because that is when we receive God's grace. That is why Paul could rejoice through all his pain, because he saw the higher purpose through it all. He knew it was the grace of God that gives us the power of God. How many of us want to be a more powerful Christian? But herein lies our problem. We do not like being humbled. We scream at the very thought of being humbled.

So out of mercy God allows a few difficulties into our lives, and our pride and self-love goes right out the window, and humility starts coming in like a flood! Why? Because how do we react to difficulties most of the time? We rarely accept it with love or faith. Therefore, we are humbled by having to see ourselves for who we really are.


Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, wrote some wonderful advice for us in such verses as Proverbs 11:2 - “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom” and Proverbs 29:23 - “One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.”

God allows difficulties into our lives not to torture us, but to humble us, so we will abandon ourselves to Him because that is when we grow in God's grace. Unless we grow in God's grace we cannot grow in His power. If we do not grow in His power, we will become weak and ineffective Christians all the days of our lives. Therefore, whether we like it or not, or whether we want to admit it or not, our difficult circumstances are serving as an opportunity to humble us and to make us more powerful Christians for the glory of God. It is all because God is Sovereign.

* What do you ask Jesus for when you suffer?