Matthew 23:12
Thoughts from Jodi Venhaus
Dive Deeper
“But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Matthew 23:12
Behind the Scenes
Humility is a tricky thing. Just when you think you have it, you lose it. Humility is often misunderstood to be a form of self-deprecation or self-hate but that is not true at all. We are made in the image of God. God loved us so much that he sent his Son Jesus to die for us. As a result, we possess great value. The best way I have heard it explained is that humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less. It is a call to love and serve others and put the needs of others before our own. This takes wisdom because we live in a fallen world, and we also need healthy boundaries.
Our theme this week is unity. A lack of unity and the appearance of conflict within the church often stems from pride and a lack of humility. It is so easy to feel that our opinions should be heeded, that we are correct on every issue, and that other people are our enemy for disagreeing. This is human. Jesus, however, calls us to a higher standard. We need to be open to the fact that we can be wrong. We need to be teachable. We need to love people, especially our brothers and sisters in the church.
Throughout the Bible, God has made the most use of the humble and obscure. Abraham was a common man called by God to be the father of a nation. Gideon had no influence, but God used him to save the nation of Israel from armed raiders. Most of the apostles called by Jesus to start the church were not rulers or trained religious teachers but blue-collar fishermen. These people humbled themselves before God and He used them in mighty ways. How can we do the same?
Make it Real
The first big step towards humility for a Christian is when we admit that we are unable to save ourselves, that we are unrighteous before the standards of a holy God. When we enter a relationship with Jesus, we admit our need for his sacrifice on the cross AND we accept him as lord over our life. This is a great starting point for humility, but it is only the beginning.
A good way to pursue humility is daily prayer before God asking for His help in forming our hearts so that we love Him and others. Pray for the ability to be teachable, to listen before we speak, and place God at the center of our affections and not position, influence, fear, or any of the things that hinder our walk with Jesus.
It helps me to look at examples from the Bible. King Saul’s son Jonathan in 1 Samuel is a great example of love and humility. By law, he was heir to the throne of Israel. He knew, however, that God had anointed David to be the next king. He humbled himself and maintained both his loyalty to God and his friendship with David. He never tried to resist God’s plan, and he never allowed that plan to arouse feelings of bitterness and jealousy towards his friend David. Jonathan made this decision even though it often placed him in opposition to his father Saul. There is much to be learned about humility from Jonathan’s example. Pursue God, allow Him to cultivate humility within you, and seek unity.
Johnny Spence
ACF Devo Team
End in Prayer
Father, please form my heart to where I humbly pursue your kingdom agenda. Help me love others within my church and help me be a peacemaker, conflict resolver, and unifier. Thank you for all you have done for me and my church. Amen.