Dear sister,
Things haven’t changed much since the garden of Eden, have they? Adam and Eve’s desire to have what they deemed the “best” fruit in the garden led to a heredity of sin that can be seen in every person and child. They trusted in their own desires and feelings rather than trusting that what the Lord told them was true and better than that fruit. Instead of humbling themselves and trusting the Lord, they proudly and boldly ate the forbidden fruit.
Man, it is so hard to humble ourselves, isn’t it? We want to be proud parents, proud wives, known for something, anything! We don’t want to be told what to do…or is this just me? I’m really not one to boast vocally, but internally, my heart yearns for recognition from this world. I don’t want to be just a wife of so and so, mother of ______, or from this family. I want to stand out, be accomplished with my hands, skills, sports, or brain. I want to be known for my whit, humor, or craftiness. I can’t be alone…I’ve seen all the proud stickers on cars proclaiming honor rolls and personal advertisements.
Peter scripts in 1 Pet 5:6, that “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble”. When we, like Adam and Eve, desire our fame more than God’s, He opposes us. But when we instead, proclaim His fame over our own, we get grace! But how do I humble myself? Think about how we feel pride…we contrast something against our own standard and when we beat the standard, we feel proud! If the whole class gets a C and I get a C+, I am proud of that C+! If I compare my looks or skills with someone I think isn’t as good as me, I feel proud! So…why not compare myself with God for a good dose of humility?
He spoke. The universe was thrown into existence. He spoke and nature bloomed. He breathed life into the dirt and man stepped forth. He formed you in your mother’s womb. He made each cell move exactly where it was supposed to go. He created the nerve firings in your brain to command your every breath and heart beat. He gave skill to doctors, ideas to men and women to create art and science. He gave you a conscience. He holds the world in His hands! He made a way to fix the sin problem that Adam, Eve, and all of us have by sending Himself into the world to die for our sins! Then…He rose again, conquering death and defeating its fate for all those who put their trust in Jesus. Ummmmm…I can’t do any of that.
Humility is not self-condemnation or defamation; rather it is acknowledging everything we have comes from the Lord. It’s realizing that God deserves our praise, not us. We praise God and give thanks for our every breath, for our skills, whit, and humor He gave us. We praise God for the gifts and people in our lives. We praise and give thanks to God for our families, for the gifts and talents He has given our children and spouses. When we put the Lord in His rightful position, the result is humility in our hearts. But it’s a humility that brings joy, not shame. It brings the grace of the Lord, not His opposition. Wow! I want that! Don’t you?
Grace to you, sister,
Colleen