Once you think you are humble, you are not

Humble.  It is not a word that our society uses that often or desires in people's character.

In life, if you are doing the opposite of what our society wants you do you might be moving towards what the Lord Jesus Christ desires for His people. To ensure we are not taking short cuts, trusting feelings alone or some fad ideology...let's go to the Bible (the Word of God and the most historically sound document in antiquity).

Proverbs 11:2 "When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom" NKJV

James 4:10 "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."

The part that sticks our to me is "in the sight of the Lord". You should be humble all the time. Not just with God or with some crowds. But I think this scripture is reenforcing where that humility begins. The Lord Jesus Christ. You need to go before the Lord by yourself and humble yourself before Him in prayer.

Travis Ogle, a pastor at my church Hope, said a good way to start your daily prayer is by confessing you are not God and admitting your God dependence.

An example is:

Lord, I am not God. I am not you. I need you. I cannot do anything without you living though me today. I need you to live through me so I can pray for my family, love my wife and children, be kind to my neighbor and work like I am serving you, the King of Kings.

This is not a canned prayer that should be memorized. The heart and truth of the words are what is important. It is so simple but it is so powerful because our natural tendencies and our society leads us to believe we are God of our lives and little speck of the world.

 

1 Peter 5:5-7 puts it this way. "...you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, [for emphasis meaning I can see your reaction and yes I did just tell you to do that] all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."

It can't be summarized better than that; "humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."

So He May be known,

Marc