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Last week I had written a blog about humility as the Lord has been teaching me quite a bit on this subject recently. In fact, just the other day I heard John MacArthur say on the radio that the only people that are able to forgive are humble people. This statement could not be any truer. Forgiveness is impossible if a heart is full of pride. Actually, I would go as far as to say that it is impossible to please God in our daily walk if humility does not permeate our lives and attitude.
With that being said, David Jeremiah has been preaching a series of messages on the Book Song of Solomon. His main theme is marriage, love, and sex as you might suspect if you have ever read the Song of Solomon.
As a quick overview, Song of Solomon has two primary characters or narrators. There is a woman called the Shulamite and a man who is King Solomon. It is a poem that moves the reader from the couple’s courtship to marriage to consummation. Its imagery is powerful and its lyrical content is beautiful.
While there are many wonderful spiritual jewels contained in this short book on marriage and love, I wanted to focus on the one thing that I think makes a marriage all that it is intended to be from God’s point of view. This critical aspect is the relationship of the wife and husband to Jesus Christ. I realize this may seem elementary but as I look at my own marriage, I have come to realize over the years that the most important facet to my overall happiness and contentment is based upon my relationship to the Lord and my husband’s relationship to the Lord. For you see if either my relationship or my husband’s relationship with the Lord is not where it should be then we will not treat each other as the Lord has intended and the Lord says our prayers will be hindered as a result (1 Peter 3:7).
As I mentioned previously, humility is the foundation for all other virtues to flourish in the life of the believer and this is also true in marriage and all of life’s relationships. It is so easy to be offended, isn’t it? Whether it is our spouse, our kids, a co-worker, or a friend. I have found in my own walk that the closer I am to the Lord, the less offenses bother me and the more I am able to focus on the things that the Lord says are most important – loving Him with my heart, mind, and soul and loving my neighbor as myself. It is within the servant’s attitude that we find the abundant life, but so often it is hard to not put ourselves first in everything.
Marriage by nature puts us into subjection to another person as 1 Corinthians 7:4 states, “The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.” Pretty powerful text. But if we are to truly live it then we need to be at the cross daily, realizing who we are before Christ. Otherwise our marriage will begin to come apart at the seams.
It is staggering to think that we have such power when it comes to our spouses but we do. We can either use that inherit power to build them up or tear them down. On this note, a couple of years ago, I heard a speaker at a marriage conference say that God has given us our spouses in order to mold us into the image of His Son. He said this in reference to all the annoying things that we dislike about our spouses that we wish they would change. While the audience chuckled, his point was valid in that the Lord always has the same purpose for us in life as His children and that is to bring us into greater conformity to His Son. What better person to use to accomplish this task than our spouse whom we live with and interact with every day?
My hope and prayer is that my own testimony before the Lord would be an encouragement to my husband in His walk and vice versa. Please feel free to comment to let me know how the Lord is shaping you into a picture of His Son in your relationships.
Showing posts with label Humility. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Humility. Show all posts
Friday, February 11, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Humility 101
I hope this blog post finds everyone well. I have not been able to update my blog in a few weeks due to a bad case of the flu which has run rampant through my family. I can’t remember the last time I was that sick but I am on the mend now and happy to be back writing.
Over the past several weeks, the Lord has been teaching me much about humility and harmony. I read a book by Andrew Murray called Humility: The Beauty of Holiness that was a little gem. In it Murray explains that the one characteristic that dominated the life of Christ was humility. He goes on to say that humility is the foundation for all other virtues to flourish in the life of the believer. This makes sense when you think about the insidious nature of pride and how it can ruin a life.
As I thought about humility and all that it encompasses, I came quickly to realize that there may be no harder lesson to learn or virtue to possess than humility. Ben Franklin, who spent most of his life exploring the role of civic and personal virtue, had this to say about humility, “In reality, there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it, perhaps, often in this history; for, even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.”
So, how does one actually attain humility? It certainly cannot be found in text books or within the walls of our most learned institutions. It can only be found in the schools of Christ. It is only as we allow ourselves to be captivated at the foot of the cross and realize who we are before Christ that the seeds of humility are firmly planted. For you see humility does not consist of thinking meanly of ourselves as some believe, but in not thinking of ourselves at all. If humility speaks of itself, it is gone.
It was this aspect of not thinking of Himself at all that enabled Christ to fulfill his earthly mission. He was completely and totally satisfied with the Father and as a result was completely obedient all the way to the cross.
Once we are able to subtract ourselves out of the equation than we become vessels perfectly suited for the Mater’s work. This is not easy and I do not pretend that it is. I need not look any further than my own life to realize how much pride creeps at the door of my heart almost constantly. It takes much discipline to bring myself to the cross not just daily but many times daily to be cleansed and fitted for God’s purpose.
As with any virtue we seek to see demonstrated in our lives, we must feed on the Word of God in order to see it manifested. The Word is the life blood of the soul and the fuel to conquer sin, the world, the devil, and our own flesh. If you have some time this week, read Psalm 119. It is referred to in Hebrew by its opening words, "Ashrei temimei derech" ("happy are those whose way is perfect"). It is the prayer of one who delights in and lives by the Word of God, the sacred law. What makes Psalm 119 unique is the way that these requests are continually and explicitly grounded in the gift of the Law and the psalmist's loyalty to it.
I hope to continue to write more blogs on the subject of humility in the coming weeks as the Lord leads. Until then, God Bless and please feel free to comment and let me know what God is teaching you.
Over the past several weeks, the Lord has been teaching me much about humility and harmony. I read a book by Andrew Murray called Humility: The Beauty of Holiness that was a little gem. In it Murray explains that the one characteristic that dominated the life of Christ was humility. He goes on to say that humility is the foundation for all other virtues to flourish in the life of the believer. This makes sense when you think about the insidious nature of pride and how it can ruin a life.
As I thought about humility and all that it encompasses, I came quickly to realize that there may be no harder lesson to learn or virtue to possess than humility. Ben Franklin, who spent most of his life exploring the role of civic and personal virtue, had this to say about humility, “In reality, there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it, perhaps, often in this history; for, even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.”
So, how does one actually attain humility? It certainly cannot be found in text books or within the walls of our most learned institutions. It can only be found in the schools of Christ. It is only as we allow ourselves to be captivated at the foot of the cross and realize who we are before Christ that the seeds of humility are firmly planted. For you see humility does not consist of thinking meanly of ourselves as some believe, but in not thinking of ourselves at all. If humility speaks of itself, it is gone.
It was this aspect of not thinking of Himself at all that enabled Christ to fulfill his earthly mission. He was completely and totally satisfied with the Father and as a result was completely obedient all the way to the cross.
Once we are able to subtract ourselves out of the equation than we become vessels perfectly suited for the Mater’s work. This is not easy and I do not pretend that it is. I need not look any further than my own life to realize how much pride creeps at the door of my heart almost constantly. It takes much discipline to bring myself to the cross not just daily but many times daily to be cleansed and fitted for God’s purpose.
As with any virtue we seek to see demonstrated in our lives, we must feed on the Word of God in order to see it manifested. The Word is the life blood of the soul and the fuel to conquer sin, the world, the devil, and our own flesh. If you have some time this week, read Psalm 119. It is referred to in Hebrew by its opening words, "Ashrei temimei derech" ("happy are those whose way is perfect"). It is the prayer of one who delights in and lives by the Word of God, the sacred law. What makes Psalm 119 unique is the way that these requests are continually and explicitly grounded in the gift of the Law and the psalmist's loyalty to it.
I hope to continue to write more blogs on the subject of humility in the coming weeks as the Lord leads. Until then, God Bless and please feel free to comment and let me know what God is teaching you.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
I Will Exalt the Humble
I have been reading D.L. Moody’s classic book, The Overcoming Life during the past couple of months. If you have never read this book, I highly recommend you add it to your Christian library. Moody writes it to encourage believers in the daily struggle of Christian warfare. He dedicates an entire chapter to the subject of humility that I wanted to spend time discussing.
There may be no harder lesson to learn or virtue to possess than humility. Ben Franklin, who spent most of his life exploring the role of civic and personal virtue, had this to say about humility, “In reality, there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it, perhaps, often in this history; for, even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.”
As I ponder Franklin’s statement, it is apparent that as much as the world tries to teach and attain humility, it cannot be found in text books or within the walls of our most learned institutions. It can only be found in the schools of Christ. In fact, it may have well been the hardest virtue of all that Christ tried to teach His disciples.
Moody states that it was interesting to him to discover that the reason Christ gave for learning about Him was not because He was the most advanced thinker of the age or because He performed supernatural miracles but because He was “meek and lowly in heart.” For you see humility does not consist of thinking meanly of ourselves as some believe, but in not thinking of ourselves at all. If humility speaks of itself, it is gone.
Many of the other virtues like love, faith, goodness and joy can be counterfeited, but humility cannot be faked. A false humility is detected almost immediately. This fact comes into sharp focus when we look at our own age of boasting. I remember listening to a TV evangelist years ago who said that because he was a man of God, he deserved to have his shoes custom made for his feet because his feet were especially made by God for His service. Can you even fathom Christ, who bent down to wash his disciple’s feet at the Last Supper, making a statement such as this?
When the followers of John the Baptist asked him, "Who are you?" He replied that he was nobody and that there would come “one mightier than me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose” (Mark 1:7). Now notice what Christ says about John, “He is a burning and shining light” (John 5:35) and after he was beheaded, Christ declares that John was “greater than any man born of a woman" (Matthew 11:11). Wow. Christ gave John the honor that belonged to him. If we take a humble position, Christ will see it and exalt us, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time"(I Peter 5:6).
I really believe, as I look at my own walk with the Lord, that humility is a result not an achievement. The closer I am to the Lord, the more I see myself decrease. But make no mistake, this is a daily, minute by minute battle. We have to be in the Word and on our knees continually seeking the Lord’s face and will. I would suggest that if this is the pattern of our life than as we gaze into the face of the Lord, our face will disappear and we will shine the same way Moses did when he met with the Lord on Mount Sinai. Moses' change, like that of Jesus on the mountaintop, was so dramatic that ordinary people were overwhelmed simply by seeing the reflection of the presence of God on his face. That is humility in all its glory. God’s face shining in place of ours.
“As the lark that soars the highest builds her nest the lowest; as the nightingale that sings so sweetly sings in the shade when all things rest; as the branches that are most laden with fruit bend lowest; as the ship most laden sinks deeper in the water; so the holiest Christians are the humblest.” - James Montgomery
There may be no harder lesson to learn or virtue to possess than humility. Ben Franklin, who spent most of his life exploring the role of civic and personal virtue, had this to say about humility, “In reality, there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it, perhaps, often in this history; for, even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.”
As I ponder Franklin’s statement, it is apparent that as much as the world tries to teach and attain humility, it cannot be found in text books or within the walls of our most learned institutions. It can only be found in the schools of Christ. In fact, it may have well been the hardest virtue of all that Christ tried to teach His disciples.
Moody states that it was interesting to him to discover that the reason Christ gave for learning about Him was not because He was the most advanced thinker of the age or because He performed supernatural miracles but because He was “meek and lowly in heart.” For you see humility does not consist of thinking meanly of ourselves as some believe, but in not thinking of ourselves at all. If humility speaks of itself, it is gone.
Many of the other virtues like love, faith, goodness and joy can be counterfeited, but humility cannot be faked. A false humility is detected almost immediately. This fact comes into sharp focus when we look at our own age of boasting. I remember listening to a TV evangelist years ago who said that because he was a man of God, he deserved to have his shoes custom made for his feet because his feet were especially made by God for His service. Can you even fathom Christ, who bent down to wash his disciple’s feet at the Last Supper, making a statement such as this?
When the followers of John the Baptist asked him, "Who are you?" He replied that he was nobody and that there would come “one mightier than me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose” (Mark 1:7). Now notice what Christ says about John, “He is a burning and shining light” (John 5:35) and after he was beheaded, Christ declares that John was “greater than any man born of a woman" (Matthew 11:11). Wow. Christ gave John the honor that belonged to him. If we take a humble position, Christ will see it and exalt us, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time"(I Peter 5:6).
I really believe, as I look at my own walk with the Lord, that humility is a result not an achievement. The closer I am to the Lord, the more I see myself decrease. But make no mistake, this is a daily, minute by minute battle. We have to be in the Word and on our knees continually seeking the Lord’s face and will. I would suggest that if this is the pattern of our life than as we gaze into the face of the Lord, our face will disappear and we will shine the same way Moses did when he met with the Lord on Mount Sinai. Moses' change, like that of Jesus on the mountaintop, was so dramatic that ordinary people were overwhelmed simply by seeing the reflection of the presence of God on his face. That is humility in all its glory. God’s face shining in place of ours.
“As the lark that soars the highest builds her nest the lowest; as the nightingale that sings so sweetly sings in the shade when all things rest; as the branches that are most laden with fruit bend lowest; as the ship most laden sinks deeper in the water; so the holiest Christians are the humblest.” - James Montgomery
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