All tagged humble
Does prayer guide your life and alter you in such ways that others might hear and see you as an image of Christ, or as an embodiment of something divine? This morning my devotional reading once again spoke primarily to pastors, but all saints can benefit from this call to prayer. Our prayer life changes who we are… even if we feel satisfied with our faith, or believe we have achieved a degree of holiness.
This morning let’s study another purpose for trouble in this world. The author of my morning devotional reading put it this way, "Trouble makes the earth undesirable and creates a desire for heaven within us... It is the path of tribulation that leads to that world." Our problems really do turn us towards God for help. They do this by taking our self-assuredness away and humbling us before Him. You see, we aren't meant to be satisfied with our current world, faith, and surroundings, we should see paradise and eternity before us, and a perfection of spirit and soul just beyond where we struggle. Our opening passage from Revelation encourages us with a description of heaven...
This morning I would like to stress further the importance of humility in respect to our ability to pray. I especially enjoyed an observation I read that was written by Pastor E.M. Bounds when he said that "To be clothed with humility is to be clothed with a prayer garment." I have often toyed with the idea of using a prayer shawl to prepare myself, and set the mood of prayer, before I enter into my place of prayer each morning, but I never really felt it necessary. Perhaps we are already being clothed, not by cloth, but in a meek and humble spirit, and by reading scripture or a devotional message. It is so important that we prepare ourselves for prayer, but do we do so?
Humility Gives Wings to Prayer... That is a wonderful title for a devotional message on praying as we should, and this is the second time in a week that we are visiting the subject of humility. Humility places God and others before ourselves and admits that we are lacking in some way. This is a holy virtue indeed. Perhaps the Spirit is leading us back to look at our humility once more because we are still found lacking in it, or maybe we are being taught how to portray it better in our lives so that it might be seen more clearly by others as they pursue faith and salvation in theirs.
When the bible speaks of humility the general consensus is that it is speaking of someone who is self-effacing, obedient to God, respects themselves and others, and is also modest, meek, humble, and submissive. My devotional reading today reminded me that "God puts a great price on humility of heart" and that it brings us closer to God. I can honestly say that those times when I have exhibited the greatest humility, and humbled myself the most, have also been the times when I truly felt the hand of God upon me.
It's colossal, it's stupendous, it's amazing, but just not what the Lord wants you to do. Do you think you are a million dollar man of God who is too good to be doing the minimum wage work of the kingdom? Maybe you need to think twice.
Do you command the promises of God be fulfilled? Is your assurance in God's word more than humble faith in His Word? Is your expectation that He honor His contract with you by the terms as you understand them? Well, perhaps you should take a step back.
When we go through the motions of “playing church”, and yet bring idols into ourselves, the temples of the Spirit, or sit in the pews and challenge God regarding His Word and its truth, then who are we? When we are proud, and our position within the church body becomes a god to us, or the time we spend shouting prayers from the street corner becomes the measure by which we judge others, then who are we? And, when our tithe becomes a threat to Lord our power over others, or hold the righteous who are the true believers, ransom with, then where is the virtue in our faith? If this convicts us today, does it lead us to prostrate ourselves before God and repent?
As disciples, what is our role in the Garden of Gethsemane? Are we one of the eight who are told to wait outside? Are we one of the three who go further into the garden with Jesus to protect and watch over Him? Or, are we one of the many who are left in the city with no apparent role to play? Whatever our role is, it is important. As Christian soldiers the three with Jesus are front line troops who will be the first into battle, the eight are held in reserve and are there if needed to reinforce the three, and those in the city are the reason why the others go into battle in the first place. Which of these are we? What is our role?
Are we heartbroken today, or do we see ourselves as content, and satisfied with our lives, and who we are? Has our rebellious spirit been broken, or is it strong and self-determined? Do we approach God overcome by our contrition, and desiring His forgiveness, or are we convinced that we are worthy in ourselves, and without sin? Before we can be of use to God our old self must be broken and bridled, and our will made subservient to His. How do we stand before the Lord? Are we humble and obedient, or self-assured, unteachable, and defiant? Are we meek, or are we arrogant and proud in our demeanor?
We are meant to humble ourselves before God even in those times of our greatest strength, but why? The world tells us that we do so because even when we are mighty He is stronger yet, when we are hungry He feeds us, when our lips are parched He brings forth water from the rocks, and when our enemies are preparing to destroy us He defends us, but In truth we do so because He loves us so perfectly. Although we love Him with all our being, He loves us more. God doesn’t demand that we approach Him on our knees, we do this out of our desire to yield ourselves entirely to Him. So, are we humbling ourselves before our Lord God, His children, and even those who are old and weak, or are we waiting to be humbled for our arrogance, and selfishness, before we do so?
We see the poor, and the hungry every day. Some are on the streets begging for money, some are sleeping in doorways, and others just walk past us on the streets. Some are overlooked, but all are lost. What is our reaction to them? Do we turn our faces away, simply pity them, look on them with disdain, or do we give them aid… perhaps a few dollars, a bottle of water, some food, or maybe a place to sleep? The decision we make regarding them can not only change their lives, but can alter ours as well… now, and for eternity.
Yesterday we celebrated the birthday of Jesus Christ, and now today we should no longer anticipate the future coming of the Messiah, but behave as believers, in the full knowledge that He has now arrived. In doing this we must realize that He humbled Himself, not by His birth as king, but by being born a servant. He served not only God the Almighty Father, but all of mankind… even the absolute least of us. So today we compare ourselves to the living Christ, but are we satisfied with what we see in our spiritual mirror, or do we still see arrogance, ambition, selfishness, and the other attributes that Jesus was born to shun?
All of our advances in faith, and a righteous life, follow after our humility, and our desire to obey the Lord. When we pray with pride, or read scripture from a position of arrogant intellect, then there is no answer, and the truth in God’s Word remains hidden from us. In this way our belief in God, and faith in Jesus Christ, are merely outer garments that cover a religion based on our self alone. Until we humble ourselves, and let our love for God replace our desire to interpret scripture as we wish it to be, and stop praying as a form of negotiation, but pray instead in absolute humility, then we are attempting to establish a business arrangement with God, and He has no interest in sharing His sovereignty with us.