Part Five of The Way Up Is Down Series

 
REAL-LIFE APPLICATIONS

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:10)

(Note: Last time we learned that the top of the mountain is that place of perfect peace and contentment that we find in God alone. We also learned that God’s way up is down. Now we look at some real-life applications of this principle.)

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Let’s look at a few applications of this principle so we can see how it operates in real life. And to do that, we need to return to the four ways the world says we get from here to there and see how God’s way works instead.

First of all, let’s look at the world’s way number 1 — the way up is “up,” the path of self-exaltation. You know when I struggle with this one the most? When I am first meeting people in a new situation. It’s very tempting in a new setting to try to prove yourself to others. You find yourself talking about yourself and putting yourself forward in ways that maybe you don’t in more familiar situations.

Why do we do this? Because we are convinced that the way up is “up.” But if we take God’s way, we will take more interest in the other person, loving them for God’s sake, seeking to learn more about them, seeking to build them up rather than building ourselves up in their eyes. And then we let God lift us up in his way and his timing. The way up is not “up.” The way up is down.

And then there’s the world’s way number 2 — the way up is “over,” the path of self-promotion. This one gets tricky, because there are legitimate times when we need to promote ourselves, for example when you are putting together a résumé or interviewing for a job. The key here is to be honest. Don’t put on your résumé: “I am a lousy person and a terrible worker. You would never want to hire me. Why don’t you hire the next person instead?”

No, Romans 12:3 says this: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” In other words, know your abilities and give an honest assessment of yourself to your boss or potential employer.

But even as you do so, recognize that everything you have comes from God. Give God the glory for the abilities he has given you. And remember, promotion comes not from self and not from others but from the Lord. Psalm 75 says: “No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man. But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another” (Ps. 75:6–7). The way up is not “over” other people. The way up is down.

And then there’s the world’s way number 3 — the way up is “through,” the path of self-effort. The very worst example of this is when we try to work our way into heaven, when we try to earn God’s favor by our own good works.

Good works are good, but they are not the way to salvation. The Bible says: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8–9). We are not saved by our own works but by God’s grace given to us through Jesus his Son, who died for us so that we could be forgiven.

And how do you reach this place of God’s blessing and favor? You humbly confess your sins to God, you admit your need for a Savior, and you believe that Jesus died to be your Savior. The way up is not “through” your own efforts. The way up is down.

And what about the world’s way number 4 — the way up is “around,” the path of self-preservation? Jesus said: “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matt. 16:25). It’s another one of those paradoxes, but it’s so true. If you try to save your life, you will lose it, but if you lose your life for Christ, you will find it in a way you never thought possible.

The way up is not “around,” because you can’t go around the cross. You can’t go around the cross for salvation, and you can’t go around the cross as a Christian. God’s way is not the way of self-preservation but the way of self-denial. The way up is down.

Next: Jesus – The Supreme Example