Tag: Humility

On Your Father Knows Better


Psalm 139:23-24 MSG Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me. Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about.  See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life.

Matthew 6:7-13 MSG “The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and He knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this: Our Father in heaven, reveal who You are. Set the world right; Do what’s best— as above, so below. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You’re in charge! You can do anything you want! You’re ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.

Observation

I note that the psalmist and Jesus both focused on the praying about the condition of our own souls, leaving the specifics to Father God.  We are instructed to look inward and allow His Holy Spirit to show us where we are unaware, wandering or lost in our humanness.  We are instructed not to trust our own assessment of our heart, but to allow Father God to examine our response to Jesus’ words and the way He lived His human life.  Apparently, we are far too lenient with ourselves to be trusted to examine our hearts on our own. 

Jesus presented each person with a choice – accept Him or reject Him.    It is interesting to me that Jesus had very little to say about the pagan Romans.  The only group that He chastised was the religious leaders who were constantly laying down rules for others to follow.  [Matthew 23:13 NLT  13 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.”]  Isn’t Jesus saying that the religious leaders are confused about where God intends religion to lead [Heaven]?  In light of this, doesn’t it seem a bit presumptuous for us to spend time in prayer telling our Father our opinion of what is wrong with someone else and how He should fix it? 

Impact On Me

I can look back on so many times when I told God what He needed to do in, for, or to someone else.  I can remember some terribly unmerciful, vengeful, and, therefore, unscriptural prayers.  It was difficult to pray for someone who wounded me or betrayed me.  My humanness wanted that person to hurt the way I was hurt.  Painfully and patiently, I have learned that Jesus wants something else from me.  Jesus wants me to learn to forgive the most painful so that He can begin to heal the wounds of the one who wounded me.

“He knows better than you what you need.”  I have found this is also so true.  As I allow His Holy Spirit to examine me, my wicked ways (those selfish, slothful, prideful, self-serving pockets in me) are exposed.  My choice is to hide them away again or face them and lay them on the altar, asking for God’s help to truly repent and be changed as I choose to become more like Jesus.  I remind myself often that Jesus did not promise walking with Him would be easy BUT He promised to go with us faithfully on every step.

Devotion

Holy and Merciful Father, Redeemer, Teacher, Remaker, I place myself in Your hands.  Be the Potter to my clay.  Mold and shape me.  Squeeze out the imperfections that You know need to go.  Remind me, when I think something is too painful to do, to look past the Cross to see what Your result will bring.  I give You full access to me, all my body and soul, and ask for You to provide me with the wisdom, courage and strength to be obedient and submitted to how I need to change.  I ask this in Jesus’ name.  Make it so.

On Having a Kingdom Perspective

Mathhew 18:2-4 Phillips Jesus called a little child to his side and set him on his feet in the middle of them all. “Believe me,” he said, “unless you change your whole outlook and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. It is the man who can be as humble as this little child who is greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.

John 18:36 Phillips “My kingdom is not founded in this world—if it were, my servants would have fought to prevent my being handed over to the Jews. But in fact my kingdom is not founded on all this!…19:10-11  10 But Jesus gave him no reply. So Pilate said to him, “Won’t you speak to me? Don’t you realise that I have the power to set you free, and I have the power to have you crucified?”  11 “You have no power at all against me,” replied Jesus, “except what was given to you from above. And for that reason the one who handed me over to you is even more guilty than you are.”  …19:14-15 Pilate said to the Jews, “Look, here’s your king!”  15a At which they yelled, “Take him away, take him away, crucify him!”  15b Am I to crucify your king? Pilate asked them. “Caesar is our king and no one else,” replied the chief priests.

Observation

Jesus preached a kingdom that was timeless and upside down from a human perspective, a kingdom not familiar to or rooted in this world (“My kingdom is not founded in this world.”).  His kingdom was culturally and politically neutral, based entirely on eternal principles that are not specific to a time, place or culture, and, apparently, not so complicated to enter into as we tend to make it.  “It is the man who can be as humble as this little child who is greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.”

Jesus happened to walk this earth living under the influence of two powerful, oppressive and absolute governments (Romans and Sanhedrin).  Resisting either had severe consequences, even death.  Nonetheless, Jesus was not intimidated by the powers of this world – physical, political or spiritual.  His kingdom is eternal, unlimited in power, ultimate in authority and freedom-based; theirs were temporary, subject to the power of the next conqueror, with transient authority and restrictive.

Yet, this eternal, not-of-this-world kingdom was so simple that only children could were humble enough to understand and accept it.  Children are generally open, accepting and content to be cared for, nurtured, and under the protection of others.  As we mature, our pride gets in the way.  We become more independent (rebellious?), take on more responsibility (depend on our own strength?) and tend to base our responses on our training and past experiences (become more reactive and opinionated?).  Becoming more self-sufficient is not necessary a bad thing – unless we become unwise enough to trust in the kingdoms of this world – our own wisdom, physical power, strength and abilities, secular governments, and so on.  We must not forget how to be cared for, under the protection of, and submitted and committed to our God. 

Impact on Me

“You can do anything you set your mind to do.”  I grew up hearing this mantra.  This is not a Jesus Kingdom principle and is not event true outside of His kingdom.  I am to set my mind to be diligent in seeking the Kingdom of Heaven, but the strength, endurance and destination needs to be directed by and resourced in the wisdom, grace and power of the Holy Spirit.   (“Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”. 2 Cor 12:9-10)

So, when Jesus stood silent before Pilate, He was bringing the Kingdom to life through walking the footsteps set before Him – His suffering and death on the Cross.  It is interesting for me to note that the chief priests replied, “Caesar is our king and no one else,” because they had their sights and hope on another kingdom altogether – their own.  How easy it would be for me to fall into the same trap – choosing a kingdom that suited a lust for power, earthly wealth and status, personal fulfillment.  I want to choose appearing weak in earthly eyes if it will make me strong in the Lord.

Devotion

Father God, the Lord of my destiny, the redeemer of my soul, I want my worship to be only of and for You.  Don’t let me become mired in my own lust and greed for earthly rewards, blinded by my own wisdom, strength and planning, choosing to live in the wrong kingdom.  Keep my vision clear and focused on You.  Keep my feet on the path to pursue Your Kingdom alone, led by Your Holy Spirit, resourced and sustained by Your grace, humility, peace, wisdom and power for the journey.  Make it so, in Jesus’ name.

On Being Simple Enough

Matthew 18:1-7 PHILLIPS It was at this time that the disciples came to Jesus with the question, “Who is really greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?”  2-4 Jesus called a little child to his side and set him on his feet in the middle of them all. “Believe me,” he said, “unless you change your whole outlook and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. It is the man who can be as humble as this little child who is greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.  5-7 “Anyone who welcomes one child like this for my sake is welcoming me. But if anyone leads astray one of these little children who believe in me he would be better off thrown into the depths of the sea with a mill-stone hung round his neck! Alas for the world with its pitfalls! In the nature of things there must be pitfalls. yet alas for the man who is responsible for them!

Observation

Jesus’ disciples must have been taken aback by this answer.  One only has to read the book of Leviticus to know that Jewish religious practice was complicated and exacting; over the years between Abraham and Jesus, legalistic interpretations of The Law by generations of religious leaders added rules and practices that made it even more difficult for anyone to understand or comply.  This complex religious structure meant to create human rankings in God’s sight based on performance and heritage – essentially:

(1) high ranking – the religious elite (privileged experts) who specialized in the study, practice and enforcement of the myriad rules and practices of the complex religious structure, standing as God’s judges of religious acceptability and performance (such as the Chief Priest and the Sadducees and Pharisees of the Sanhedrin);

(2) lower ranking – those with a heart to honor God, who did their best but who, feeling the heavy burden and impossibility of full compliance with the rules and required practices, relied on the judgment of those higher ranking to determine the appropriate sacrifice for the infraction and appropriate method of offering it to receive forgiveness.  This included sincere ones who did their best to recite all the prayers and follow the rules, however imperfectly, without hope of truly pleasing God; and

(3) lowest ranking – those who gave up trying to comply because it was just too complicated or they believed they were too much of a stench in God’s nostrils (e.g., lepers, prostitutes, etc.). 

With this teaching, Jesus is turning His disciples’ understanding on its head, offering a completely counter cultural and seemingly heretical teaching.   “Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom.”  What Jesus taught required the disciples to abandon the past understanding of the Abrahamic covenant (based on centuries of added religious traditions, rules and teaching).  He shattered the idea of a God too holy to approach and in its place asked then to embrace a new covenant of a Father full of redemptive grace offering a personal relationship with God through Jesus the Messiah. Mind boggling when I think of what courage, conviction, persecution, and personal cost it must have required for them to make this choice …. 

Impact on Me

I am a simple person. This teaching of Jesus resonates with my personal understanding of and experience with the heart of our God to embrace and provide eternal life for whosoever will come.  Certainly, there are tenets of faith that are true, eternal and immutable that guide us in following, loving, and serving God well.  Thankfully, through the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, we have access to repentance which leads to redemption, rescue, and restoration when we either fall into sin or become another’s pitfall in sin.  However, despite wanting to keep my relationship with God simple, just as in the time of Jesus, I can become intimidated by the acceptable rules and practices of my culture or the larger religious community, judging myself as inadequate or guilty in God’s sight because I am not performing up to a standard set by men or my own perfectionism. 

When I do this, I am presuming to set the rules for the limits of God’s grace and my relationship Him, creating my own standards for what is acceptable, denying the completeness of the work of the Cross, and doubting that the love and grace of Father God is sufficient for me – essentially, recreating God into an idol made by my hands in my lesser image, by my expectations, controlling the relationship by what I will allow him to be for me.  Who do I think I am?!  Am I so foolish?!  Why would I ever doubt the sufficiency of the Cross, the love and grace of Father God?!   I find that I fall into this trap when I see myself as the ruler of my own fate (god of my own life?) – adult, experienced, learned, “wise in my own eyes” – and begin to hold my performance up for comparison to another’s.  May I always remember that I do not serve a performance-based God.

Devotion

Father God, full of mercy and love, Redeemer, I worship You.  I want to come as a child to You again, in Christ full of the wonder of You and Your Love, completely submitted to Your care, often sitting at Your feet, a frequent requester of Your wisdom, and willing to trust You to be all I need.   By Your Holy Spirit, search me for every barrier of complication, every standard that does not honor Your grace, love, and sacrifice, every offensive presumption, every sinful way; I come heartbroken to repent of all these and ask that You would forgive me and lead me in becoming more childlike, more dependent, more trusting in my relationship with You.  Because I know You love me past all understanding, I know that You hear me and will work in me to make it so. I commit to seek to please only You. In Jesus’ name, I pray.

On Exploding Pretensions

2 Kings 7:3-7 MSG It happened that four lepers were sitting just outside the city gate. They said to one another, “What are we doing sitting here at death’s door? If we enter the famine-struck city we’ll die; if we stay here we’ll die. So let’s take our chances in the camp of Aram and throw ourselves on their mercy. If they receive us we’ll live, if they kill us we’ll die. We’ve got nothing to lose.”  So after the sun went down they got up and went to the camp of Aram. When they got to the edge of the camp, surprise! Not a man in the camp! The Master had made the army of Aram hear the sound of horses and a mighty army on the march. They told one another, “The king of Israel hired the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to attack us!” Panicked, they ran for their lives through the darkness, abandoning tents, horses, donkeys—the whole camp just as it was—running for dear life. 

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 PhillipsFor look at your own calling as Christians, my brothers. You don’t see among you many of the wise (according to this world’s judgment) nor many of the ruling class, nor many from the noblest families. But God has chosen what the world calls foolish to shame the wise; he has chosen what the world calls weak to shame the strong. He has chosen things of little strength and small repute, yes and even things which have no real existence to explode the pretensions of the things that are—that no man may boast in the presence of God. 

Observations

This may seem strange at first, but, to me, this is one of the most encouraging stories in the entire Old Testament.  The city has been cut off from resources for months.  The people in the city have resorted to unthinkable ends by the lack of food.  The prophet Elisha has predicted a sudden and dramatic turn around of the situation, but no one believes him. Outside the city gates, with no hope for help or food from inside the city, we have these four lepers.  Now lepers were avoided by others because the disease was communicable (it is a virus), had no cure and resulted over time in disfigurement, even to the extent of losing fingers, toes, noses.  Lepers were considered a waste of space and resources.

These four lepers have an epiphany!  “If we enter the famine-struck city we’ll die; if we stay here we’ll die. So let’s take our chances in the camp of Aram and throw ourselves on their mercy. If they receive us we’ll live, if they kill us we’ll die. We’ve got nothing to lose.”  I can see them hobbling and shuffling toward the enemy camp.  They have nothing to offer and nothing to lose.  But God, in the way He does, uses the least – foolish, weak and men of little strength and small repute, actual outcasts – to save the city.  This is clear evidence of how different God’s standards to judge value and worth vary from our standards for the same.

Impact on Me

There is great value in study of the Word, practicing spiritual disciplines and daily devotions, worshipping together, serving in ministry.  These are all a necessary part of growing in our Christian walk.  However, they do not define our value in God’s eyes.  While they demonstrate our gratitude – our recognition of the grace and mercy poured out on us and for us, our commitment to submit and obey, our desire to return love to Him – they do not make us more worthy in God’s sight.  We are worthy when we choose to be in Christ through the surrender of repentance and accepting the salvation provided for us on the Cross. 

These four lepers remind me “that no man may boast in the presence of God.”  My accomplishments, my talents, my knowledge, my accumulated wisdom, my faithful performance, only has real value when it is offered up in humility and used to walk in obedience to His will and purpose in my life.   The best thing I bring to the table is my ear to hear and my heart to obey. Our God is able to make the fiercest army flee before anyone He chooses, even four starving, crippled, rag draped lepers that society considers worthless.  What can He do with me if I will just get up and go when He calls?

Devotion

Lord God Almighty, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the One Who stooped down from Heaven to redeem my unworthy soul, I worship You.  I want to see with Your eyes and value others with Your heart.  I want to be just who You call me to be, not wishing to be someone else doing something else because they are being seen and recognized and I am not.  I want to remember that what You can accomplish in and through me is only limited by the freedom I will allow to Your Holy Spirit.  Change my heart, break loose the things in me that break Your heart so I may be Your good and faithful servant.  I pray this all in Jesus’ name. 

On Bowing Low

Mark 10:43-45 ESV But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

John 13:1-5; 12-17 PHILLIPS 1-5 Before the festival of the Passover began, Jesus realised that the time had come for Him to leave this world and return to the Father. He had loved those who were His own in this world and He loved them to the end. By supper-time, the devil had already put the thought of betraying Jesus in the mind of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son. Jesus, with the full knowledge that the Father had put everything into His hands and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from the supper-table, took off His outer clothes, picked up a towel and fastened it round His waist. Then He poured water into the basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel around His waist….

12-17 When Jesus had washed their feet and put on His clothes, He sat down and spoke to them, “Do you realise what I have just done to you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘Lord’ and you are quite right, for I am your teacher and your Lord. But if I, your teacher and Lord, have washed your feet, you must be ready to wash one another’s feet. I have given you this as an example so that you may do as I have done. Believe me, the servant is not greater than his master and the messenger is not greater than the man who sent him. Once you have realised these things, you will find your happiness in doing them.

Observation

The point of the Bible is to tell us Who God is and how He wants us to fit into His story and His plan for our redemption.  All of the passages are there to reveal Who He is, what He desires of us and for us, and how He responds to our choices.  Jesus the Christ, the manifestation of God in human form, called Himself “gentle (meek) and humble” (Matthew 11:28-30), defined servanthood as the path to pleasing God, and spoke of Himself as serving all of us by giving His life as a ransom for us all (God’s redemptive plan to restore the intimate relationship He desired with us and intended from the beginning).  In the passages above, Jesus demonstrates for His disciples the depth of humility to which they must stoop if they want to be like Him and considered great and first in God’s Kingdom.  Jesus had come to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah regarding the servanthood of Messiah (Isaiah 42:1-4, Matthew 12:16-21), the bowing low of God to redeem His creation, His people, so that He might restore the intimate relationship with us disrupted in the Garden of Eden.

Foot-washing was an important element of hospitality for the culture of the time as feet became dirty walking on dusty roads.  As important to hospitality as it was, the lowest, almost always Gentile, servants were the ones to do it.   When Jesus “took off his outer clothes, picked up a towel and fastened it round his waist,” He took on the persona of a menial foreign slave.  Disciples were supposed to serve their Master/Rabbi, not the other way around.  Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of Man, God, was demonstrating the kind of humility and servanthood He required of them to truly be one of His disciples.  “But if I, your teacher and Lord, have washed your feet, you must be ready to wash one another’s feet. I have given you this as an example so that you may do as I have done.”  

Did you catch that He washed ALL of the disciples’ feet – including the feet of Judas who was about to betray Him?  This level of humility requires more than setting pride aside temporarily.  This level of humility requires complete surrender, total submission to the will and purpose of God Who does not want any to perish (2 Peter 3:9).   This was a powerful discipleship lesson which was apparently caught and embraced as His disciples later identified themselves as servants (or slaves) of God and committed even to die in His service – John (Rev. 1:1), Paul (1 Cor 3:5-6), Peter (2 Peter 1:1), James (James 1:1), Jude (Jude 1:1). 

Impact on Me

Merriam Webster defines “humble” as “not proud: not thinking of yourself as better than other people.”   A servant is simply one who serves others.  Servant in the New Testament is often translated as slave.  We don’t like that word as it has a bad taste in our historical context.  The position Jesus took above was as low as He could go in His culture.  What is the lowest I can go in service today – an unpaid volunteer in homeless ministry, serving orphans in a foreign land, working to change the lives of the poorest so they can have a better future?  I know people who do all these and will never have any recognition on earth but much treasure in heaven.

I have participated in foot-washing services and it is a very humbling experience.  However, this passage is not meant to tell me how important foot-washing services are, but, rather, that I need to be willing to set aside my pride and any status provided by my position to gladly and humbly serve those who have nothing to give me in return.  Jesus is demonstrating to me (and us all) the kind of humility and service I am to emulate if I want to be like Him in this day and age. Jesus is showing me that it’s not a sign of weakness to serve someone — it’s a sign of love, strength and humility – all treasures in His kingdom.  Jesus is saying to me, “Don’t view yourself as better than other people – even your enemy – for I died for him/her, too.”   This is a hard lesson to embrace and live.

Devotion

Father God, You are Love and created us in Your image.  You rule over the universe and yet still bowed so low to redeem me. You gave Jesus to walk this earth as a human to show us how to live in and for You.  I am humbled by how lowly Jesus bowed, how much He sacrificed, to restore intimacy between us.  I am woefully inconsistent in my attempts to emulate Jesus’ example.  However, I pray that as I find each new pocket of pride, You will, by Your Holy Spirit, help me to place that pride on Your altar to be burnt up.  I truly want to be more like Jesus day by day as I journey through this life.  Make it so, Lord, in Jesus’ name.