“I know what I’m doing!” You’ve heard it said, maybe said it yourself, and whether it is spoken to a parent or a spouse; a teacher or a supervisor, the implication is always the same, “I don’t need you or your input.”
Numerous times as a father I heard these words as I attempted to teach one of my children how to do something. Their struggle for independence and desire to demonstrate what they knew would cause them to jump ahead of my instructions while informing me that they had it covered. Sometimes, they did. Often, they did not, and neither did I when took the same approach at their age. It is an important piece of knowledge we must acquire by learning from our mistakes. Even as adults, it is still difficult to acknowledge that we do not know everything and accept that we need help.
David, Israel’s well-known king, made his share of bad decisions including sleeping with the wife of one of his soldiers, and when he found that she was pregnant and his sin could not be hidden, made arrangements for her husband to be moved to the center of the battle to die. He suffered greatly for his choices, but learned from them as well. In Psalm 25:9, he writes, “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.”
David learned the valuable lesson of humility. He discovered through that virtue God would teach him the right thing to do and show him God’s way to live. By recognizing his need for direction and his dependence upon God, he put himself in a position to be more than he thought possible, even when he thought too highly of himself.
It is a lesson for all of us. When we can honestly accept that we are not God, that we do not know all things and that we cannot always discern the right way, we develop a teachable spirit that God can use to lead us into blessing. As long as we think we have it covered, that we need nobody and no direction we set ourselves up for failure and frustration. When we embrace humility, we open ourselves to good directions, wise decisions and godly blessings.
David learned the hard way the deep pain that comes from pride and arrogance. Many of us have learned that painful lesson as well, but we can also allow these tough experiences to teach us humility and prepare us for a better future. There is never a bad time to start embracing humility. It is never too late. It is a decision we renew again and again, but we do so knowing that God gives grace to the humble, guiding them and teaching them the path that leads to life.
