‘Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.’ James 4:10 NKJV
Here’s a true saying: ‘Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.’ That doesn’t mean being a doormat for people to walk on or being spineless with no convictions and opinions. True humility is acknowledging God as the source of all you have, and all you need, and always remembering to give Him credit for both.
The Bible says, ‘God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.’ (Genesis 2:7 NKJV) God’s intention for mankind was to live in Paradise and enjoy His presence every day. But we disobeyed Him and decided to live by our own rules instead of His. And the result? God said, ‘For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.’ (Genesis 3:19 NKJV) Let’s face it, on our best day we’re just dignified dirt! Although we are divinely fashioned dust, the reality is that we are mostly carbon, hydrogen and oxygen with a few other elements thrown in—for a total value of about $7. So when you die and you return to dirt, that’s your physical value. Pretty humbling, eh? And when you see someone driving an expensive car, remember that $7 is driving it. $7 owns your house. $7 is wearing those nice clothes. $7 has more money in the bank than you’re actually worth.
Paul defines humility in these words: ‘Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves.’ (Romans 12:3 NLT) Do you want to know what makes you truly incomparably valuable? ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory.’ (Colossians 1:27 NKJV)
SoulFood: Gal 4–6, Luke 16:1–18, Ps 119:113–120, Pr 18:10–12
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©