Humble Yourself

 “Humble yourself, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, and He will exalt you in due time.”                         -- James 4:10 

Today during my quiet time with the Lord I heard Him tell me, “Humble yourself under my hand, be willing to do my will, and receive what I give you.”

So I thought about humility, what it is, how to achieve it.  The best way to view humility is to look at Jesus.

Philippians 2:5-8

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  

Though He was God in the flesh, He didn’t grasp at His Godhood.  Rather, He made Himself “nothing.”  It is translated in the in some versions, “of no reputation.”  He didn’t care what people said about Him because He had a purpose to fulfill and He was intent on that.  I need to focus on the purpose God has for me and leave all else behind. 

The Strong’s Concordance translates this word “nothing” (actually, ‘emptied Himself’ in the NASB) from the Greek kenoo, meaning “make void.”  It can mean to deprive of force, to make of no effect. 

In other words, nothing else mattered to Him but doing the business of the Kingdom.  What does that mean for us?  We want to live seeking His Kingdom first.  We want to live so that our lives agree with God’s Kingdom.  

I think that I tend to spend too much time thinking of myself and My needs (capital letter intentional) and not enough time thinking about what God wants me to do. 

A wise man once said "humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less."  

Another more realistic man said 

“We'd like to be humble...but what if no one notices?” --John Ortberg.

Is it pride that keeps me from doing the work of my Master?

This poem, written in a forgotten age, speaks to selfish living and remarks on the self who abandons all to Christ.

I had walked life's path with an easy tread,

Had followed where comfort and pleasure led,

And then, by chance in a quiet place—

I met my Master face to face.

With station and rank and wealth for goal, 

Much thought for body but none for soul,

I had entered to win this life's mad race--

When I met my Master face to face.

I had built my castles, reared them high,

Till their towers had pierced the blue of the sky;

I had sworn to rule with an iron mace--

When I met my Master face to face.

I met Him and knew Him, and blushed to see

His eyes full of sorrow were fixed on me.

And I faltered, and fell at His feet that day

While my castles vanished and melted away.

Melted and vanished, and in their place

I saw naught else but my Master's face,

And I cried aloud: "Oh, make me meet

To follow the marks of Thy wounded feet."

My thought is now for the souls of men; 

I had lost my life to find it again

Ever since alone in that holy place

My Master and I stood face to face.

Dear Abba,

I pray that I might have the faith and courage to look into Your face, Lord Jesus, and abandon all for You.  Help me to humble myself and be Yours in all the ways that matter.

Your Child,

Donna