In my life recently, suffering has forced me to be humble. 

Translation: If I’m going to be humble, I need something to force me into it. 

In other words: My default mode is pride, and humility must be cultivated in me.

I came across a great quote on the “Church Matters” blog from C.J. Mahaney:

…all day long, at the moment you become aware of burdensome cares, cast them upon the Lord, who cares for you. Where there is worry and anxiety; there is the pride of self-reliance. The humble man, though he may be responsible for many things, is free of care–he is care-free. His life is characterized by joy and peace, for it is impossible to be worried while trusting the Sovereign One.

– C.J. Mahaney, Ch. 7 – Cultivate Humility of “Dear
Timothy: Letters on Pastoral Ministry”

There’s something to be said for the peace that comes in when self-reliance is dead.  I briefly experienced that kind of peace…though it came after a fierce fight to hold on to my self-reliance.  It’s humbling to say, “I’m struggling…I need help.”  It means admitting that I don’t have it all together.  It means saying, “I can’t do it.”  It means that I must realize that I’m not in control, that I’m not okay on my own, and that I need something bigger than myself to take care of me.

But once I let go, there is peace, indeed.

There is peace from knowing, and seeing firsthand, that an Almighty, ever-loving God is taking care of me.  If things are in His hands, I need only to follow.  The stress and striving is released, and there is quiet in the midst of the storm.

He is loving, and He is good.