There was a king who built great highway for the members of his kingdom. The king decided to have a contest before the highway was opened to the public. He invited many people who desired to participate.
Their challenge was to see who could travel the highway in a best way. When the day of the contest reached, some of them came with fine chariots, fine clothing, fine hairdos, and nice food to showcase.
People traveled the highway all day and when they arrived at the end, each one complained to the king that there was a large pile of rocks on the road at one spot and that this got in their way and hindered their travel.
At the end of the day, a humble traveler who had nothing exciting to showcase crossed the finish line warily and walked over to the king. He was tired and dirty, but he addressed the king with great respect and handed him a bag of gold.
He explained, “I stopped along the way to clear a pile of rocks that was blocking the road. This bag of gold was under it all.
I want you to return it to its rightful owner.” The king replied, “You are the rightful owner.” The traveler replied, “Oh no, this is not mine I’ve never had gold before.”
“Oh yes,” said the king, “you’ve earned this gold, for you won my contest. He who travels the road best is he who makes the road smoother for those who will follow.”
Humility is often misunderstood and many people see it as being weak. Being humble is the absence of pride and pride is the absence of humility.
Pride is the number one road block people have that’s preventing them from submitting to God or authority. People who treasure so much in the worldly things and seem to complain about everything, are a sure sign of people who are filled with pride and lacking of humility.
Because pride can be so destructive to our life and will distance us from God, we need to make it our mission to become humble. God rewards the humble!
“But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
James 4:6