Humility

3-19-2009
Yesterday, we spoke about the confidence that comes from personal development, preparation, and the understanding of who Christ is. With confidence it is extremely important to be laced with humility. I pray every day that God will bless me with a humble confidence. I am a very blunt person, thus my confidence can be misunderstood, so I know that is one of my many weaknesses. However, I also know that I am nothing without Christ. I know that everything I have, am, and will be is a direct blessing from God.
Humility is the state of being humble; lack of pride. In 1 Peter 5:14, Peter says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” I don’t know about you, but I am in desperate need of Grace, so I better be humble! In Proverbs 11:2 it says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
Time and time again pride has ruined families, relationships, jobs, and etcetera. God calls us to be humble in all that we do. I believe Christians are at fault as much as non-believers. As a believer, avoid boasting about your good deeds, or how many times you have fed the needy. In fact, Christ tells us to do the exact opposite. We are called to give and serve unconditionally. In Matthew 6:5-15 we are told by Jesus how to pray: where no one can see you! Christ never boasted! He simply served.
We live in such a competitive world where people place importance on material things that mean nothing in the grand scheme of life. How you look, the amount of money you have, the type of car you drive, the places you shop, what country club you belong to means NOTHING to the only person you need to focus on impressing, God, and He sees everything so you don’t need to tell Him! I love having nice things, but stay focused on the eternal and have fun with the temporal, and not the other way around. We have been given two very specific commands that sum up the life of Christ, and they are listed in the order of importance when Jesus says in Matthew 22:27: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind”…and with humility consider others better than yourselves (Love your neighbor as yourself). God himself sent his only begotten son onto this earth as an example of humility. Jesus had the power to do anything at anytime, yet he came and went as a humble servant. He didn’t walk around beating his chest and saying look at me the King of the world. Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). Again, don’t just do as Christ says, but do as Christ did!
Application:
1. Are you staying focused on the two greatest commands of Jesus?
2. Do you allow your personal success to define you? If the answer is yes, do you realize the good Lord has given you everything and he can take it away?
3. God allows you to do everything you do, so how can you use the gifts you have been given to serve Him and others humbly?
4. What aspects of your life can you do a better job of humble leadership?
5. Read Luke 14:7-14 and Philippians 2: 1-11 (TRUST ME ON THIS ONE…READ IT)Homework: Pick a person in your life that works for you, or simply does stuff for you. Maybe a wife, a