Lincoln inverts the comfort we typically seek from faith—not reassurance that our side is favored, but submission to a standard beyond ourselves. The distinction matters because it strips away the temptation to weaponize God for political ends, something as relevant now as it was during the Civil War. When a parent decides to follow their conscience rather than their child's wishes, or when a business leader chooses principle over profit, they're practicing the same humility Lincoln describes: alignment with something larger than their own interests or tribal loyalties.