"When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." (Luke 14:8-11, emphasis added)
Their are numerous examples of people who believed that they were better than they were being put down. Pharaoh, the King of Egypt, believed that he was entitled to the service of the Hebrew children, even after enduring great plagues. Only his complete defeat in the depths of the Red Sea stopped him. (Exodus 14) Saul believed he did not need to wait for Samuel to administer in priestly ordinances. (1 Samuel 13) Haman believed that the king wanted to bestow honors upon him rather than Mordecai, and ultimately found himself hanging on the gallows he had prepared for the man he hated. (Esther 6-7)
As much as God despises a proud heart (Proverbs 6:16-17), he is not desirous that his children be depressed or that they hate themselves or that they fail to believe they can be successful. Consider the story of Jonah. His disbelief that he could succeed in preaching the word of the Lord to the people of Nineveh led him to try to escape from God by boarding a ship to Tarshish. (Jonah 1:3) Even after being humbled in the belly of a big fish for three days, he did not believe that his preaching would be successful, and when they repented, he became angry. (Jonah 4:1-3) Though he had been humbled to the point that he recognized the power of God, he prayed for his own death. His self-loathing was answered by God with a lesson. The Lord explained that he had never wanted to destroy Nineveh, but that the people there were valuable to him.
Here is the dilemma with which many people struggle. On the one hand, people are reminded that they are nothing next to God. Consider the teachings of King Benjamin:
"And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created you." (Mosiah 2:25)
On the other hand, people are reminded that they are loved and valued by God. Consider the teaching of Paul:
"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39)
In one case, we are asked not to glory in ourselves, and in the other case, we are reminded that we are the work and glory of God. It can seem as though God is simultaneously saying "you're worthless" and "you're priceless."
Is it possible to be humble, and to be confident? Is it possible to show faith and courage without developing pride?
One of the best examples of this very thing can be found in Gideon. He was called by God a "mighty man of valor" (Judges 6:12), but he described himself as being poor, and the least of his father's house. Notwithstanding his reservations, he acted with courage as the Lord directed him to destroy the altar of Baal. Though there were some who sought his life, the Lord protected him.
Gideon did not presume to think that he was infallible, even after being called by God, he wanted to ensure that he was doing the will of God. He prayed and asked the Lord to confirm that he was doing his will by two signs involving fleece and morning dew. One night, the fleece of wool was soaked with moisture and the land was dry, and the next night, the fleece was dry and the land was wet, just as he asked.
While seeking signs is typically a sign of wickedness and faithlessness (Matthew 12:39), Gideon was not demanding that God prove himself, he was seeking to know that he was following God. This is the type of request to which James referred when he said "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him." (James 1:5)
Humility can be demonstrated by seeking God's guidance through prayer. A humble person is one who recognizes the value of omniscience above their own wisdom.
Ultimately, Gideon's most famous victory came when he whittled his army down to 300 men, sending home any who were afraid, and then those who did not lap water as they drank like animals. (Judges 7:4-7) These three hundred men spread themselves in the camp of the Midianites, and then cried out "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" (Judges 7:19-23) The enemies of Israel slew one another in the confusion, and Gideon prevailed.
Sneaking into an enemy camp is certainly not a plan for the faint of heart. Had they been discovered too soon, the Midianites would have slaughtered them. Even executing the plan correctly, they ran the risk that the Midianites would be disciplined enough to recognize friend from foe. The most important element of these 300 men was their faith that God would deliver them.
Humility can be demonstrated by faithful obedience to his counsel. This does not mean cowering or doubting, but rather, it means acting with confidence that God is able to protect and aid those who follow him.
There are certainly times in which good people are not protected. Innocents are hurt. Prophets have been mocked and thrown out. Jesus Christ himself was betrayed and murdered. In the end though, God will prevail.
This truth does not mean it is a good idea to go to others and assert superiority to them. It does not mean that one person's struggles make them inferior to those who seem not to have struggles. The idea is that everyone needs God. In spite of the miraculous victory of Gideon, after his death, the people returned to idolatry, and the protection of the Lord was withdrawn, and many died in a power struggle. (Judges 9) Those who set themselves up above others were put down.
Confidence is not the same as pride. It is possible to have confidence in the Lord, and in the words of his prophets and apostles without asserting superiority over others. Just as it was with Gideon, strength does not come from comparing oneself with others, it comes from ensuring that a person is doing the will of God, and then being confident that God will make everything right. That is the "sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!"... it is that those who exalt themselves shall be abased, and those who humble themselves shall be exalted.
