Proverbs 3:34 presents a sober warning and a remarkable promise: God opposes the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. This principle runs throughout Scripture, and it reaches far beyond occasional feelings of modesty. It concerns how a person stands before God, receives correction, treats other people, and responds to sin.

Humility is not weakness, false self-hatred, or pretending that gifts and accomplishments do not exist. Biblical humility is an honest, lowly-minded recognition of God’s holiness, our dependence on His mercy, and the proper place of others in our lives.