Something I've noticed I've been lacking in my life is humility. The lack of humility is a root of all kinds of evil. It causes arrogance and a lack of compassion. Neither of those two are things you want to have present in any kind of relationship. No one wants to be friends with a jerk. And feeding your pride is really damaging to your own spiritual health too.
Jesus, king of all kings, whose name is above every name and under whom all things submit. That guy has every right to be prideful. But that’s not what He does! Philippians 2 tells us that the guy that is top dog humbled himself and became a servant to the lowest of the low. Jesus humbled himself and sacrificed himself for his enemies!
Being reminded of this reality, puts everything I do back into proper perspective. I’m supposed to be like Christ. I’m supposed to humble myself. When dealing with people that I don’t want to have patience with, I need to put things in perspective. In my relationship we’re dealing with minor slights of personality. In contrast when Christ deals with me, I was a hostile enemy of Christ. But he still had patience with me. When I am unforgiving and lack grace I need to be reminded that when I deserved the full wrath of God, I was given grace.
All the things that I’m able to do, it’s not because I’m awesome. I forget that. I forget that a lot of the things I am capable of doing now are only the result of being the handiwork of God, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. Moreover that the purpose of Him gifting me the way He has wasn’t so I could receive praise, but to bring glory unto Himself. I have to remember who I am and who God is. And how much it means for God Himself to come beside me and bring me into His presence. To bring me to sit with Him on His throne.
So the word of the day…Humility.
Something that I think helps me to be physically reminded to have grace and be humble is to do things outside of my comfort zone. Most of the things I’m involved in are all things I pick up quickly and am proficient in. So when you can just jump into something without much practice or preparation and be better than most people…it just causes arrogance. Aside from remembering the grace, mercy and patience God has shown me. It’s nice to need it or desire it from someone else when you get placed into a context you’re completely unfamiliar and uncomfortable with.
So to be reminded of how much I need someone to be patient with me, and to be reminded that I’m really not all that great…I’m taking a bead class. Cause that’s totally foreign to me. I have fat stubby fingers and lack the intricate dexterity required to fashion ornate pieces of jewelry from fishing line and beads. I’m sure that while all the women are chugging along making masterpieces I’ll be working on just getting the bead on the string. So this could be good!
I've noticed myself becoming critical of everything people might do wrong. I find myself becoming impatient when people do not react or understand what needs to get done. I've begun to place task above relationship. When I start to do this with my relationships with other people, eventually I begin to do that in my relationship with Jesus. I begin to forget the fullness of the gospel and truth of Ephesians 2:1-10
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a]and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a]and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
I was dead. I wasn’t capable of doing anything of value or worth. Everything I could do in my own strength utterly failed to produce anything of real value. All the checklists I’ve completed and man given accolades do not measure up to the glory of God. Any of the things I might be proud of or things that I’ve accomplished in my own strength doesn’t pay off the debt I owe on account of my sin. In view of the glory of God my greatest accomplishments earn me shame. But God, in his mercy and love brought me to life through the death of His Son Jesus Christ.
Jesus, king of all kings, whose name is above every name and under whom all things submit. That guy has every right to be prideful. But that’s not what He does! Philippians 2 tells us that the guy that is top dog humbled himself and became a servant to the lowest of the low. Jesus humbled himself and sacrificed himself for his enemies!
Being reminded of this reality, puts everything I do back into proper perspective. I’m supposed to be like Christ. I’m supposed to humble myself. When dealing with people that I don’t want to have patience with, I need to put things in perspective. In my relationship we’re dealing with minor slights of personality. In contrast when Christ deals with me, I was a hostile enemy of Christ. But he still had patience with me. When I am unforgiving and lack grace I need to be reminded that when I deserved the full wrath of God, I was given grace.
All the things that I’m able to do, it’s not because I’m awesome. I forget that. I forget that a lot of the things I am capable of doing now are only the result of being the handiwork of God, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. Moreover that the purpose of Him gifting me the way He has wasn’t so I could receive praise, but to bring glory unto Himself. I have to remember who I am and who God is. And how much it means for God Himself to come beside me and bring me into His presence. To bring me to sit with Him on His throne.
So the word of the day…Humility.
Something that I think helps me to be physically reminded to have grace and be humble is to do things outside of my comfort zone. Most of the things I’m involved in are all things I pick up quickly and am proficient in. So when you can just jump into something without much practice or preparation and be better than most people…it just causes arrogance. Aside from remembering the grace, mercy and patience God has shown me. It’s nice to need it or desire it from someone else when you get placed into a context you’re completely unfamiliar and uncomfortable with.
So to be reminded of how much I need someone to be patient with me, and to be reminded that I’m really not all that great…I’m taking a bead class. Cause that’s totally foreign to me. I have fat stubby fingers and lack the intricate dexterity required to fashion ornate pieces of jewelry from fishing line and beads. I’m sure that while all the women are chugging along making masterpieces I’ll be working on just getting the bead on the string. So this could be good!
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