Exalted Humility

Luke 14:11: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

My NIV Application Bible has an accurate definition of what humility is and is not: “Humility is not self-degradation; it is realistic assessment and commitment to serve.”

What if I only compared myself to Jesus? Realizing my sinfulness, and comprehend, acknowledge, understand my limitations – but without making any excuses – just being realistic of how God created me. Then affirming that, and be thankful to God who created me, as I follow His direction in my life. That no doubt would dissipate a lot of fears regarding my success in my performance in my job, as a wife, as a mother, as a grandmother, in a group of women- oh the list could go on and on! God has a purpose for each person – He didn’t leave anyone out because He is the great I AM, Jehovah Nissi (battle fighter; gives us hope and should be our focal point), Elohim (God, judge, creator).

I remember one of my Grandma Helmers’ words of wisdom: “Linda, it is better that someone else says how great you are rather than yourself. Why don’t people get that?” I chuckle – she always had a few select nuggets of wisdom that were her pet peeves about people that I still remember from time to time that spoke such truth. I miss her.

A famous man that was a visiting professor in the early 1930s at Caltech in Pasadena, is noted for saying the following: “Try not to become a man of success,” said Albert Einstein, “but try to become a man of value.”

“Humility is a fundamental grace in the Christian life, and yet it is elusive; if you know you have it, you have lost it!” states Warren Wiersbe.

One of Satan’s greatest sinful weapon against us is pride. God wants us to be humble, but Satan will use our pride to trip us up and be drawn away from God (“Prone to wander Lord I feel it . . .”). God wants us to depend upon His grace, as James 4:6 says: “ But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Oh, how our ego loves to be fed and fanned. So often I am in need of God’s grace! Whenever I am feeling humiliation, it is generally due to my lack of humility and wishing I could take back my words (yes, that just happened again to me just this week). How about you?

“Whatever makes us feel superior to other people, whatever tempts us to convey a sense of superiority that is the gravity of our sinful nature, not grace.” Phillips Brooks.

Listen to the Newsboys newest song that came out in January 2019, “The Greatness of Our God” Official Lyric Video.