Humility

Humility

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I don’t know how it works…I don’t understand…I don’t have the answers…accepting things even when we don’t fully understand them.  This can be a hard thing.  Even just reading the first three statements above can feel uncomfortable.  To know the basic understanding of something is the first step.  C.S. Lewis in his writings has spoken about it in this way…when we are tired and hungry, eating a meal will do you good.  This is the basic understanding.  Understanding how food nourishes the body using vitamins and proteins within the food is not necessary knowledge to know that when you are hungry a meal will do you good.  Similarly, he continues, knowing and accepting what Christ has done to save us is the basic knowledge of faith.  Understanding how it fully works is not required to know that Jesus Christ loves you and died to save you.  When we can accept that we will not fully understand everything all the time, we can still go and do the right things for the right reasons.  I pray we are humble and faithful in our every day lives.  Amen.

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“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

Proverbs 11:2

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 along Beartooth Pass in Montana)

Humble And Gentle

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Be respectful…good listener…have compassion…acknowledge others needs.  These are ways we can be one with the Spirit that is within us.  These behaviors are neither common or natural to many people.  Striving for these ways is learning to live differently than the world tells you how to live.  When we put Christ in the center of our lives we are a new creation and our old ways are left behind, life should be different, our attitude should be different and the joy and peace of the Lord will be much more common in our every day.  May the grace and mercy of God the Father wash over us and make us new.  Amen.

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“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”

Ephesians 4:1-2

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 along Beartooth Pass in Montana)

Judging Others

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We are all broken…we are all fighting a battle of some kind…we all need the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  None of us is in position to be in judgement of another.  Jesus spoke very clearly about this in the Gospels.  A summary statement would be, you will get whatever you give.  How we choose to act is what we will get back from others.  I struggle with snap judgments and emotion filled responses at times as much as anyone and I am reminded of humility, goodness and kindness when I spend time reading God’s Word and in prayer.  May we continually seek growth in our spiritual life and our relationship with Jesus Christ to guide us to living life with the Fruits of the Spirit.  Amen.

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“Do not judge, and you will not be judged.  Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

Luke 6:37

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota)

 

Be Humble

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We have seen the example of what humility looks like when we look at Jesus Christ and His actions and behaviors while He was here.  He suffered as a human and yet was obedient to the will of God.  It was not easy, even for Him…He prayed so hard that it could go differently and then in the next breath gave everything to God.  “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”  -Luke 22:42  The only way we have a chance to learn about God’s will, is to be willing to surrender our own will.  One of my biggest obstacles in my faith journey is sustaining surrender…getting to the point of surrender is one thing, maintaining an attitude of surrender so God’s plan can unfold with His timing is yet another battle.  One thing I know for sure, as it is true for all of us…God’s not finished with me yet!  I pray that God will open the eyes of our hearts and wash over us with courage and patience.  Amen.

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“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Philippians 2:3-4

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Arches National Park in Utah)

Humility

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Where is the focus of our life?  What is the center of our existence?  When others say kind things about us or something we have done, while this is encouraging, do we remember the One who made it possible for us?  We all are so easily distracted and this can be how we are led away from God and His plan for us.  The Book of Proverbs is filled with great reminders and statements about holy living.  These were spoken by Solomon who had been blessed with incredible wisdom from God…even He succumbed to distractions in his life on earth.  Nobody is immune and that is why daily interaction and communication with Jesus Christ is essential to finding humility and staying humble.  May God’s mercy and grace wash over us each day.  Amen

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“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

Proverbs 11:2

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Humble Yourself

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Admit it when we are wrong…forgive others when they are wrong…be grateful…reflect and confess our sins to God…choose to serve the needs of others.  These are just some of the ways to practice humility.  The messages we receive all around us are ‘get more’, ‘climb higher even if it means running over others’, ‘me first’, ‘look out for number one’.  To guide us at being better at humility we should read the teachings of Jesus.  Work at simplifying our lives and living with the hope of eternal life.  The past five days for me and my family has included two funerals, difficult times, and yet this morning I am struck by the fact that there are others all around us that are suffering everyday.  It is so easy to get swallowed up by our own world of existence…however, God gives us community and fellowship with each other to help guide us.  Don’t try and go it alone, be willing to accept that we need each other…all of us do.  May goodness and kindness surround you in your daily life.

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“Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 18:4

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 near Dillon, Colorado)

Humility

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To say there seems to be less and less of this in the world is an understatement…more then ever we are hearing about people shouting about their individual rights or their me and my group first mentality, which just drives the motivation of others to put themselves first, which does nothing more that create division and violence.  Imagine if more people were working for fairness for all people…instead trying to push and pull others down to get a step up.  My guess is that this is because of a lack of trust in society.  People can’t trust that other people will be honest and work for the best intentions of all.  Selfishness.  Think about what it felt like when someone did something kind and generous for you that had no benefit for them.  That is where God is.  The only one who can overcome the rule of self in the human race is God.  He can be trusted, He has kept every promise He has ever made and He has one promise left.  Turn to God and pray, trust in Him and He will bring you peace.

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“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Philippians 2:3-4

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on the shore of Lake Superior in Ashland, Wisconsin)

Humility

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The following are the words written by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians…

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Philippians 2:1-4

(This photo was taken in December of 2013 while on a walk in northwestern Wisconsin)

Be Humble

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The words of the Apostle Paul written in his letter to the Philippians when speaking about the humility Christ displayed when he came down in human form…

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Philippians 2:3-4

To learn more about these verses read Philippians 2:1-18

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while driving through North Dakota)