James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. English Standard Version (ESV)
Whenever I read of humility in the Bible I am reminded of our son Jeff, but probably not for the reasons you may think. One of the reasons is that we can count on him to answer the question of how he would describe himself, he will answer "I'm handsome and humble". For those of you who know him, he is about the only person that could pull that off! But true humility, being humble is not something that we can say of ourselves to bring it about. It doesn't come naturally and as today's verse indicates it is something we do, it comes out in our actions and as indicated back in verse 6, God gives the grace to be humble.
Pastor James MacDonald writes, "Humbling yourself is hard work. It is not something you think, it is a do thing. Lean into it:
When you receive a poor performance review or are passed over for a promotion—humble yourself.
When a co-worker cuts corners or takes credit for your work—humble yourself.
When something is taken that rightfully belongs to you—humble yourself.
When your friends betray, desert, or disappoint you—humble yourself.
When your life isn't turning out the way you wanted—humble yourself.
When you feel crushed under the weight of a crisis or a deep, bitter disappointment—humble yourself.
When it's hard to love the people God has placed in your life—humble yourself."
When you receive a poor performance review or are passed over for a promotion—humble yourself.
When a co-worker cuts corners or takes credit for your work—humble yourself.
When something is taken that rightfully belongs to you—humble yourself.
When your friends betray, desert, or disappoint you—humble yourself.
When your life isn't turning out the way you wanted—humble yourself.
When you feel crushed under the weight of a crisis or a deep, bitter disappointment—humble yourself.
When it's hard to love the people God has placed in your life—humble yourself."
After reading these statements, think about what the day ahead looks like - at work, at home, and at play. What would it look like to be "humble" in the situations that come up? May God give us the grace to "say a quiet yes" (The Message) to his promptings and "humble ourselves" without saying anything.
In Christ,
Mike
Mike
Follow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
James 4:6-10The Message (MSG)
Its common knowledge that "God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble."
7-10 So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet.
No comments:
Post a Comment