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If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land (2 Chr 7:14).
I love this verse. We used to sing it in church, me and my momma…I miss singing with her in church (we’ve moved 3 time zones away from her and my daddy). This verse is part of the LORD’s conversation with Solomon when His beautiful temple is being dedicated. God is saying, This people, they will stray…but if they repent, I am here, holding out My Hand to them. Repentance is a humbling of yourself, which is painful. But meeting the outstretched Hand of the LORD is a great reward.
I find myself having to repent in my thought-life quite a bit. In obedience to the Lord, I am taking on some new and challenging tasks. This leaves me feeling vulnerable. I will need to be careful not to wear my heart on my sleeve. And as a recovering perfectionist, it is hard for me to step out into unfamiliar territory, where I am bound to stumble periodically. The Lord is teaching me that I must approach every task He gives me with zeal AND humility. And I have to repent of the pride that causes me to feel so self-concious. He would have me simply obey…no matter the cost to my pride. I must be willing to be a fool for Christ, to be dishonored, to be weak (1 Cor 4:10)…all of this because I am meant to deny myself and pick up my cross, daily (Luke 9:23).
Staying humble in relationships is important too. With some people in my life, the wounds they have inflicted have barely closed, and it doesn’t take much for them to hit on tender spots. But a humble heart is not easily offended. I need to remember what Jesus said: Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth (Matt 5:5). I love Matthew Henry’s Commentary on this verse:
The meek are those who quietly submit themselves to God, to his word and to his rod, who follow his directions, and comply with his designs, and are gentle towards all men (Titus 3:2); who can bear provocation without being inflamed by it; are either silent, or return a soft answer; and who can show their displeasure when there is occasion for it, without being transported into any indecencies; who can be cool when others are hot; and in their patience keep possession of their own souls, when they can scarcely keep possession of any thing else. They are the meek, who are rarely and hardly provoked, but quickly and easily pacified; and who would rather forgive twenty injuries than revenge one, having the rule of their own spirits.
We are promised this: Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up (James 4:10). This runs in opposition to the World’s philosophy of exalt yourself, protect your image, and never let anyone get the better of you. We have this as our example:
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name… (Phil 2:5-9).
If we keep our eyes on the Lord, remembering that He is the One we should seek to please, we will find peace and humility and the great reward of His outstretched Hand. It is when we are motivated to please ourselves or others that we are bound to struggle. The Lord been calling me to quiet myself for a few years; this has been the greatest humbling of all and I am still in it. Soon, my daughter and I will begin a Bible study on this very topic. I will let you know more about it next time! It is part of my new Action Plan!
Where is God humbling you? Is He calling you to step out and do new things? Is He asking you to step back and be quiet? I see that He is asking me to do both!
Hugs,
Britta ~ justAgirl…just like you!
I was just telling someone about my humbling experience today! I shared with you I recently moved 10 hours away from family and friends and had surgery! For six weeks I couldn’t lift anything over five pounds…. So I couldn’t lift anything! I couldn’t walk much, cook, or clean. I basically was at my husband’s and church members mercy! I am sooooo used to do everything for everybody, often neglecting myself. And I could swamped with things to do, need help, and refuse to ask. I didn’t want to seem weak, or I couldn’t handle life. After all, isn’t everybody busy? Moving and surgery forced me to slow down and ask for help! It’s forced me to sit still and spend more time with God, which I can’t get enough of! Being away from family and friends forced me out of my confront zone and learn discernment and trust new friends. This has also taught me to say no and not feel bad about it. It’s okay to be selfish sometimes and take care of myself. Overall, this humbled me. I realize I can’t do it all, or worry about my image. The only person I need to worry about is God! I’m soooo much happier since I’m discovering these truths!