01/21/2026
Are we servants to all those surrounding us? Have we humbled ourselves sufficiently in order to put our own desires behind us, so that we can be obedient to the example that Jesus has placed before us? If so then God will bless us, but if not then we need to take a long look at who we truly are. Do we see much difference in the person we once were and the one we are now that we have accepted Jesus as our Lord?
“And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,”
Philippians 2:8-9 ESV
When we think about the fall of Satan we say things like he was evil, he was jealous of God, or he saw himself greater than God, but if you boil all of those things down and reduce them to the essence that is at their heart you will find one underlying fault in him... he couldn’t humble himself, or in other words he didn’t have the heart of a servant. If we contemplate this reasoning we will realize it is true... because we will recognize it to be the same proud voice which He uses to tempt us with today, and most every day.
Years ago, I was sitting in my office working when a fellow employee came in, and in a hushed tone said “have you heard? Billy is getting the promotion that should have been yours!” I heard the news, and anger arose in me. That was the job I had been working hard towards and felt I was the most qualified for. My pride began a struggle that was as old as creation itself... it fought to unseat my humility. I was fighting a spiritual battle inside. Have you faced similar events in your life? It doesn’t have to be a promotion, it can be someone’s affection, the new car your neighbor bought, or any number of things. Has Satan attempted to bring out a spirit of pride in us that he hopes will overshadow the humility that our obedience to God demonstrates, and that Jesus has been nurturing for so long in our hearts... our selfless humility?
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”
James 4:10 ESV
Jesus wasn’t weak; He wasn’t a man with a milk toast disposition; He was the epitome of strength, but it flowed from a humble heart, and absolute obedience to God’s will. If He had been weak then He would have succumbed to Satan’s temptation in the desert or said “No” in the Garden of Gethsemane. It takes great strength and faith to obey God in the face of our own pride. It took great strength for the Son of God to deny himself and remain humble before His Father.
So, if we want to see a difference in the old person we were, and the new person we are becoming through Jesus, then we must be strong and obey, but most of all humble ourselves. We should be a servant first and foremost to God, but that will also manifest itself in the way we walk through this world and our lives here.
As for the promotion that I didn’t receive? Well, what I couldn’t see at the time was the place that God was preparing for me... one from which I could speak to the hearts of those in my workplace about Jesus Christ. I said no to Satan that day, but that wasn’t the first time, and I would have to keep saying no... Satan is persistent because we are worth so much. Obey as Christ obeyed, be humble as Jesus was humble, and become a servant as He did.
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
2 Corinthians 5:20-21 ESV
Prayer:
Father, I thank you for the humble nature of your Son Jesus Christ, but most of all I thank you for His strength in obedience to your will. Help me Lord to be like Him in my walk of faith, and in my journey through life. Make me strong Holy Father as I face the pride within me and resist the voice of Satan as he attempts to circumcise my will and place it above yours. He is false and conniving, a Spirit that seeks my downfall... give me the power in my humility to tell him to get behind me. Let the Holy Spirit comfort me in those times when I am moved to give precedence to my own desires. Merciful God I long to love and serve you always, and to serve your children as Jesus did when He walked these dusty roads and wandered in the desert. Hear my sighs Father, see the dust rise up in tiny balls as my tears of joy and faith fall at your feet. Know that my heart is yours Lord and walk before me always... teaching me to serve others before myself, and you in all things. In this way I desire to bring glory and honor to your name forevermore.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV
Amen, Amen, Amen!
Rich Forbes