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40 Things NOT to Give up for Lent: 16.Humility

40 Things NOT to Give up for Lent: 16.Humility

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (James 4:10, ESV)

Yes, you can! You can be whatever you want to be. If you set your mind to it, nothing is impossible. This is the mantra we hear. These are lessons we instill in our children. But as we enter into adulthood, we settle for something less. We allow mediocrity to become the default.

As I write this, my dream of becoming professional ball player has come and gone. I have now reached that age where every player in Major League Baseball is younger than I am. Instead of aspiring to what I could be, I am now reflecting on what could have been. As much as I aspire to accomplish this dream, it is not going to happen. I have accepted it.

There is a bit of humility to recognize that it is not happening. Humility is a good thing. James tells us if we humble ourselves before the Lord, that he will lift you up. Humility is to recognize that you are not everything you think you are or want to be. Humility helps you to see yourself for who you are and helps you:

See what is possible

While it might not be possible for you to accomplish one dream, God has given you some other great things to aspire towards. Humility will give you eyes to see other doors God may be opening up. Instead of setting your heart so much on what you want, set your heart on what God wants. Sometimes having your heart so set on your dream may blind you to God’s desires for you.

Ask for help

We don’t like to ask for help. One of the most popular sections in the book store is the self-help section. We pride ourselves on being self-made. Admitting that we need help can be terribly difficult. But if you could have solved your problem on your own, you would have already done it. The reason that so many of us are held back from the abundance God wants to pour into our lives is that we have not humbled ourselves to ask for help.

Admit you are wrong

There are times when you stay on a course because you don’t want to admit you are wrong. We are stubborn. We would rather die on our hill than to get down off of it. We think that admitting we were wrong is to admit that we are inferior. But if I had a dollar for every time I was wrong, I would be a millionaire. But I don’t need a million dollars because I am already blessed by being able to admit I was wrong. Because I can admit I am wrong, I can walk in the truth.

Many people find it difficult to examine their faith. They find it hard to ask the difficult questions. I believe the reason for that is a fear that we might discover that our faith has been misplaced. But if you are confident that your faith is in the truth, there should be no reason why you would not want to examine it. And if your faith is misplaced, are you not better off letting go of it to walk in the truth? The point is don’t be afraid to be wrong.

Be teachable

There is always something to learn. No matter how much talent and ability I have, no matter how much experience I acquire, there is always something to learn. The thing that often separates the professional from the amateur is being teachable. The moment you become complacent is the moment an industry passes you by. Humility is to recognize that you may be gifted and that God has tremendously blessed you in a certain area, but that you still have room to grow.

Reflection
  1. Where do you need to ask for help?
  2. Where do you need to admit you are wrong?
  3. Where do you have room to grow?

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Giving up Pride

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Week 5 Friday

Scripture Verses

  • Psalm 51:17
  • Micah 6:6–8
  • Matthew 23:1–12

Questions to Consider

  • What does it mean to be humble?
  • From what areas of your life do you need to eliminate pride?
  • How do you practice humility?
  • How does Jesus give us humility?

Plan of Action

  • The next time you pray, really get on your knees. We talk and sing about bowing before God, but we don’t often do it. We most often sit or stand to pray. Consider actually humbling yourself and truly bowing before him.
  • A humble spirit is one that is willing to give others credit and rejoice when others are lifted up. Make a point to offer praise to others for what God is accomplishing through them. Do it today!

Reflection

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. James 4:10 (ESV)

Pride keeps us from experiencing the abundance of God. Pride puts a wall between us and him.

It was because of pride Satan was cast from heaven as a fallen angel. His entire nature is pride. He spews his poison through lies to the ends of the earth. When we go back to the original sin in the Garden of Eden, he serpent said to Eve:

For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. Genesis 3:5 (ESV)

“You will be like God!” As Eve listened to the serpent twist truth, she yielded her desire to serve God in exchange for the idea of becoming God. As she ate of the fruit, the poison of pride entered her soul. She became corrupted with the pride of the serpent. Lost was the humble dependence upon God which provided abundant and eternal life. Up to this point only good was known. Now humanity would know not only the goodness of God but also the evil caused by pride.

Pride is about putting ourselves in the place of God. Much of the sin and hardship in our lives goes back to pride. We get ourselves into trouble when we begin to think we know better than God. We make the “Ten Commandments” into “Ten Suggestions” and go our own way.

The picture at the end of the Bible in Revelation is a picture of true humility restored before God. The Elders bow down and cast their crowns before the throne and worship him saying:

Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
To receive glory and honor and power,
For you created all things,
And by your will they existed and were created. Revelation 4:11 (ESV)

We learn and receive humility from Jesus. The chief characteristic of Jesus is one of humility:

  • He humbled himself by taking on human flesh.
  • He humbled himself by associating himself with sinners.
  • He humbled himself by becoming a servant.
  • He humbled himself to be arrested and to be judged by human authority.
  • He humbled himself through his agonizing death on the cross.
  • He humbled himself in that he became sin who knew no sin.

But the humility of Jesus is not the end of the story. It was God the Father who exalted him:

  • He was exalted in that he rose from the dead.
  • He was exalted in that he ascended into heaven.
  • He is exalted in that now he sits on the right hand of the throne of God.
  • He is exalted in that he will come to judge the living and the dead.
  • He is exalted in that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess he is Lord.

Who sits on the throne in your life? Who makes the decisions? Humility starts with giving the lordship of your life over to Jesus. It’s casting your crown before him and saying: “I don’t want this or need this. It is yours Jesus!”

In the end, humility puts us in a place to receive God’s abundant grace. It also puts us in a place to be used by him in powerful and amazing ways.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 (ESV)

Next: Small View of God

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