Don’t confuse humility with weakness. A person can be in a position of weakness, or forced into submission, and still not have humility. Humility only comes when there is a decision of the will. A strong will can be a positive thing (such as pushing through challenges), but sometimes, the challenge is on the negative side. It can be when pride encourages our will to resist the Lord’s authority in certain areas of our life.

Consider the Roman commander that sent messengers to Jesus with a request for Him to heal his servant. The officer said he wasn’t worthy for Jesus to enter his home, but asked Him to simply speak the words and it would be so. The interesting part is how he framed the request:

“Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one ‘Go’ and he goes; to another, ‘Come’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this’ and he does it.” – Luke 7:7-8 NKJV

The next verse describes how Jesus responded with a great endorsement by saying:

“I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.” – Luke 7:9b NKJV

Even though the man had power and the authority to command, he recognized the Lord’s supremacy. Ultimately, the commander’s confession of faith is what he’s remembered for, not his battlefield bravery. How will you view the Lord’s authority today?