Proverbs 29:17-27: a reflection

17Correct your son, and he will give you peace; yes, he will bring delight to your soul. 18Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but one who keeps the law is blessed. 19A servant can’t be corrected by words. Though he understands, yet he will not respond. 20Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. 21He who pampers his servant from youth will have him become a son in the end. 22An angry man stirs up strife, and a wrathful man abounds in sin. 23A man’s pride brings him low, but one of lowly spirit gains honor. 24Whoever is an accomplice of a thief is an enemy of his own soul. He takes an oath, but dares not testify. 25The fear of man proves to be a snare, but whoever puts his trust in the LORD is kept safe. 26Many seek the ruler’s favor, but a man’s justice comes from the LORD. 27A dishonest man detests the righteous, and the upright in their ways detest the wicked.

Among these proverbs is one that names a great reversal: A man's pride will bring him low, but one who is lowly in spirit will gain honor. It runs against our instincts. We tend to think that pride and self-assertion lead up, to honor and advancement, while lowliness leads down, to being overlooked. But the proverb says the opposite: pride brings a person low, and lowliness of spirit gains honor. The way up, in God's economy, is down.

Notice the reversal the proverb declares: pride brings low, humility gains honor. This is not how the world usually sees it; the world honors the self-asserting, the proud, the ones who push themselves forward. But God sees differently, and orders things differently: pride, which grasps for honor, ends in being brought low; and lowliness of spirit, which does not grasp, gains the honor it did not seek. The proud who exalt themselves are humbled; the humble who do not exalt themselves are honored.

That reversal is worth taking to heart, for we are drawn to the world's way of grasping for honor through pride and self-assertion. We can push ourselves forward, assert ourselves, grasp for the honor we want, thinking this is the way up. But the proverb warns that pride brings low; and it promises that lowliness of spirit gains honor. Do not grasp for honor through pride and self-assertion, thinking this is the way up; it is the way down. Cultivate instead lowliness of spirit, not grasping for honor, but humbling yourself; for the way up, in God's economy, is down. The proud are brought low, and the lowly gain honor; choose the lowliness that gains honor over the pride that brings low, trusting God to lift up the humble in his time, rather than grasping for a honor that pride will only forfeit.

Lord, your word names a great reversal: a man's pride will bring him low, but one who is lowly in spirit will gain honor. Take that to my heart, for I am drawn to the world's way of grasping for honor through pride and self-assertion. I can push myself forward, assert myself, grasp for the honor I want, thinking this is the way up. But your word warns that pride brings low; and it promises that lowliness of spirit gains honor. This is not how the world usually sees it; the world honors the self-asserting, the proud. But you see differently, and order things differently: pride, which grasps for honor, ends in being brought low; and lowliness, which does not grasp, gains the honor it did not seek. Keep me from grasping for honor through pride and self-assertion, thinking this is the way up; it is the way down. Help me cultivate instead lowliness of spirit, not grasping for honor, but humbling myself; for the way up, in your economy, is down. The proud are brought low, and the lowly gain honor; help me choose the lowliness that gains honor over the pride that brings low, Lord, trusting you to lift up the humble in your time. Make me lowly in spirit.