Why Do You Refuse to Humble Yourself?

Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me?” Exodus 10:3

It’s an odd thing when just saying we’re wrong & giving in, seems more torturous than the real punishment following our continued stubbornness. Even though we know we’re wrong, sometimes we just refuse to admit it.

I think one reason we do this is because we have set our stand too definitively. This is something that I definitely struggle with. Once you state how you feel on a certain subject and state several reasons that you believe back it up, it is very difficult to walk that back. This is especially hard when you have been arguing that specific opinion for several months or years. I think the best way not to fall into this type of situation is to really know what you believe, gather all the facts, don’t allow your feelings to sway you from truth, and listen to many opposing opinions objectively before proclaiming your stance. That means we need to be thoughtful with our words. If not, then we risk having to humble ourselves later.

When pride comes, then comes shame. But with the humble is wisdom. Proverbs 11:2

Also, when we establish ourselves as superior, it is hard to ever submit to another, so we must be very careful about that. Just as Pharaoh stated his superiority and would not submit to God, we can state our opinion as so superior that we can never yield to anyone else’s. Even when Pharaoh knew that his refusal would bring plagues on the whole nation, his pride would not allow him to admit he had been wrong. If we aren’t careful, we can back ourselves into a corner where we would rather suffer any consequence of our stubbornness just as long as we don’t have to humble ourselves and admit we’ve been wrong.

That’s why Proverbs 16:18 says that pride goes before destruction & a haughty spirit before the fall. Destruction is really the only likely result of our pride, yet we still stand firm. But the Bible says that if we want honor, we must be humble instead. Proverbs 29:23 The ways of God are contrary to the ways of man, so we have to be aware. Often times, we will not receive the intended result of our actions because that is not how God set it up.

Pharaoh never intended to submit his life to the Lord. He could have humbled himself throughout all the first plagues but he only submitted when he was forced. A person like that must be forced over & over again. They will never submit their lives to Him if they think they can escape the consequences & still live however they want.

Even when Pharaoh was pretending to submit to God, it was on his own terms. He was always holding something back in order to control the situation. Do you ever hold things back from God? Is it hard for you to give up control, even to the One whose ways are perfect?  Deuteronomy 32:4 says, “He is the Rock. His work is perfect. All His ways are justice. A God of Truth and without injustice. Righteous and upright is He.” Why do we try to control our lives when we know that we are not perfect, nor are we always fair, truthful, or righteous. God is all of those things, all of the time, making Him the only One worthy of the Lordship of our lives.

Jesus said in Mark 12:30 to, “love the Lord your God with ALL your HEART, with ALL your SOUL, with ALL your MIND, and with ALL your STRENGTH.” ALL! So, what areas of your life have you not fully turned over? Examine your relationships, your job, your finances, your thoughts, your actions, your feelings, your day to day tasks, your future goals, etc. Ask God to reveal what you may be holding back or an area where you haven’t given Him control? Examine whether your pride prevents you from full submission or admission of wrong.

Psalm 139:23-24 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxieties. See if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” Once God reveals these things to you, ask Him to help your lack of faith, humility, or desire for control. He knows our sinful nature and wants to help us in our walk with Him. Go to Him, confess, ask for help, and turn everything over to Him. Don’t be discouraged if this is a process. Some things may only require our acknowledgment, others may take a lot of practice. But that’s alright. The hardest part will probably be humbling yourself to admit it and turn it over to Him. After that, you may have to return to Him several times for the same thing, but each time it will get easier and less frequent. It all begins with us humbling ourselves and giving over our will to Him. He knows what to do with our lives and can be trusted with them.

Excerpt from Episode 56 ” Why Do You Refuse to Humble Yourself?” Exodus 10 on YouTube & Podcast