8/17/14- Humility

1Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6Who, being in very nature^a God,

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

7rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature^b of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

8And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself (Philippians 2)

Thoughts: Humility is learned in the bad times- when we are humbled.  But they are also learned in the great times- how to receive compliments. If anything good happens to us, it is because of the Lord.  We should seek to be humble, and not to be lifted up or elecated.  God blesses us and He should get the glory for that.  

4/27/13- Humility and grace trump self-righteousness

⁹ To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

¹³ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

¹⁴ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14) 

Thoughts: Today I am doing a funeral for a wonderful, humble lady who was a deputy county tax collector.  She retired years ago (she died at 80), and her job did not define her- but her humility did.  She was funny, she was humble, she was full of grace, and I do not doubt she is exalted today.  

Prayer: Lord, help me to be full of humility and grace- following you each step of the way.