The Anchor of Humility

 The Anchor of Humility

Scripture: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” (James 4:6)

My brother, my sister, pull up a chair. Harold Mawela here, speaking to you from the dusty soil of Akasia, Pretoria. Let me take you back to a morning that nearly capsized my soul.

It was a Tuesday the kind of Tuesday where the Pretoria sun blazes like a furnace and the N1 highway hums its usual symphony of frustration. I had just received news that my latest book had climbed into the top ten of a Christian bestseller list. My phone buzzed with notifications. Congratulations poured in from WhatsApp groups. For a moment just a moment I felt it. That intoxicating rush. That whisper in my ear: “You’ve arrived, Harold. You’ve made it.”

And then, as if the Lord Himself had a sense of comedic timing, my electricity went out.

Not load-shedding, you understand Eskom tells us we’ve had over 300 days without it, and I thank God for that mercy. No, this was my own doing. I had forgotten to buy prepaid electricity. There I stood, a bestselling author, a pastor with a growing congregation, a man whose name people recognised and I couldn't boil water for my morning tea.

The irony was not lost on me. In that moment of darkness, God pulled back the curtain on my soul and showed me the truth: Your gifting is the sail; humility is the anchor that keeps the vessel of your destiny from capsizing in the storms of success.

I. The Anatomy of Pride: A South African Diagnosis

Let us define our terms clearly, for precision is the handmaiden of truth. Pride is not merely arrogance though we have plenty of that in this nation. Pride is the clenched fist of the soul. It is the insistence that my way, my recognition, my kingdom comes first. It builds walls walls between us and God, between us and our neighbours.

Humility, on the other hand, is the open palm. It is not self-hatred, not the grovelling of a doormat. True humility is seeing reality through God's lens: acknowledging His supreme worth, our utter dependence, and the inherent value He places on every person created in His image.

Look around our beloved South Africa. Is it not true that we are drowning in pride? In the first week of July 2026 alone, over 900 people were arrested during nationwide anti-immigrant protests that turned violent. Thousands of foreign nationals fled our cities. And what drives this violence? Pride. The pride that says: “This land is mine, not theirs. My needs come first. My community matters; theirs does not.”

Cardinal Stephen Brislin, speaking in February 2026, declared: “The sins of Adam and Eve, our parents, were the sins of arrogance and pride. And if we look around in the world today, there's simply so much arrogance, so much pride.” He called for a culture of humility in Southern Africa, saying, “If we are humble and have a culture of humility in society, then we recognize our need for each other.”

Meanwhile, the Zondo Commission continues to expose how state capture cost our nation billions. Former officials resist testimony. Corruption festers. And at the root of it all? The same pride that made Pharaoh harden his heart against the God of Israel.

II. The Tallest Tree, The Deepest Roots

The tallest tree has the deepest roots hidden in the dark soil.

Consider the majestic baobab, standing sentinel over the African savannah. Above ground, it stretches toward the heavens, branches reaching like ancient arms in worship. But below ground hidden, unseen, unknown—its roots plunge deep into the earth, drawing water from sources no one can see. When the drought comes, when the winds howl, when the storms of life rage, the baobab does not fall. Why? Because its security is not in its visible height but in its invisible depth.

This is the paradox of the Kingdom: The higher you rise in God's economy, the deeper you must sink in humility. You will never possess what you are unwilling to pursue. You will never sustain what you are unwilling to anchor.

III. The Anchor Rituals: Practical Wisdom for the Journey

How then shall we anchor our souls? Let me give you three anchor rituals practices that have kept this Akasia-based preacher from floating away on the tides of his own self-importance.

First: Seek correction from godly mentors. There is a reason the wise man said, “Iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17). Pride isolates; humility invites accountability. I have three men in my life who have permission to speak hard truth to me. When I'm wrong, they tell me. When I'm drifting, they pull me back. When I'm about to make a fool of myself, they—God bless them intervene. Who sharpens you, my friend? Who loves you enough to tell you when you're wrong?

Second: Confess your mistakes openly. We live in a culture of image management. On social media, we post our victories; we hide our failures. We curate our lives like museum exhibits. But the Scripture declares: “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16). There is something profoundly anchoring about saying, “I was wrong. I failed. Forgive me.” It deflates the balloon of pride and plants your feet firmly on the ground of grace.

Third: Serve in hidden places. Jesus said, “When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret” (Matthew 6:3-4). The world celebrates public service; the Kingdom honours hidden service. Wash feet no one sees. Give to the beggar at the robot when no one is watching. Visit the prisoner when there is no camera rolling. These hidden acts keep your soul grounded in the reality of God's grace, not the illusion of your own grandeur.

IV. The Apologetics of the Anchor: Answering the Objections

Now, I hear the objection forming on your lips. Perhaps you're thinking: “Pastor Harold, this sounds like weakness. In South Africa, if you don't blow your own trumpet, no one will hear your music. Humility in this economy? That's how you get left behind!”

I understand. Truly, I do. We live in a nation where the unemployment rate has climbed to 32.7% in the first quarter of 2026. Among Black African youth aged 15 to 24, unemployment approaches a staggering 66%. The pressure to promote yourself, to fight for your place, to grab what you can before someone else takes it this pressure is real. More than two-thirds of South Africans live below the upper-bound poverty line. How can humility be the answer when survival itself seems to demand self-assertion?

But consider this argument, formulated with logical precision:

Premise 1: God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). This is not poetry; this is a spiritual law as certain as gravity.

Premise 2: Human effort, divorced from divine grace, cannot produce lasting success. The proud may rise, but they will fall. The corrupt may prosper for a season, but their prosperity is built on sand.

Premise 3: Therefore, the pathway to genuine, sustainable success. success that honours God and blesses others is the pathway of humility.

The evidence supports this. Look at the leaders who have fallen in our nation those who built empires on pride and corruption. Where are they now? Some are before the Zondo Commission. Some are in court. Some are in exile. Their sails were full, but they had no anchor. When the storm came, they capsized.

True liberation is found only in submitting to the One who holds the winds in His fists.

V. The Anchor of Christ: Our Unshakable Security

Ultimately, my friend, an anchored life can catch the mighty winds of favour without fear, because its security is fixed in Christ, not in the changing tides of acclaim.

Consider Jesus. The King of Kings. The Lord of Lords. The One who spoke galaxies into existence. And what did He do? He “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:7). He knelt on a dusty floor, basin and towel in hand, washing the grime from the feet of traitors and doubters. He claimed hearts not by force but by servitude. He bent low to rise high all the way to the right hand of the Father.

This is the anchor that holds. Not your reputation. Not your bank balance. Not your followers or your likes or your retweets. Not your position in the church or your title in the company. Only Christ.

In a South Africa weary of empty promises and self-serving leaders whether in politics, business, or, sadly, sometimes even pulpits—the fragrance of genuine, Christlike humility is revolutionary. It cuts through the noise of corruption scandals and service delivery protests. It speaks louder than the loudest Amapiano beat. It outlasts the trendiest fashion.

VI. A Call to Action: Drop Your Anchor Today

So I ask you, my brother, my sister: What are you anchored to?

Are you anchored to your gifting? Giftings fade. Are you anchored to your reputation? Reputations crumble. Are you anchored to your bank account? Moths and rust destroy. Are you anchored to your followers? They are fickle as the wind.

Drop your anchor in Christ. Let your deepest roots be hidden in the dark soil of His grace.

And then only then can you serve in hidden places without resentment. Only then can you seek correction without defensiveness. Only then can you confess your mistakes without fear. Because your identity is no longer in what you do but in Whose you are.

What you do daily determines what you become permanently. Anchor daily. Humble yourself daily. Seek the Lord daily.

Prayer

Father, anchor my soul in humility. Let my deepest roots be hidden in the dark soil of Your grace. When the winds of success blow, keep me grounded. When the storms of criticism rage, keep me steady. When the tides of acclaim rise, keep me low. Let me never forget that I am dust and that from dust You have called me, redeemed me, and commissioned me. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, my Anchor and my Hope. Amen.

Go in peace, anchored one. The winds may howl, but you will not drift. For your security is fixed in Christ and Christ does not move.

Harold Mawela is a theologian and cultural apologist based in Akasia, Pretoria. His latest book, "Basin Theology: The Radical Servanthood of Ubuntu Christianity," releases in September 2025.