HUMILITY

Renovation for Dedication

At a particular job I had, for the first 30 minutes of every day I needed to sit with “the boss” and see what “his plans and directives were” as it related to the goals of the department.  He needed to set the agenda of my focus for my day.

SOMETIMES WE CAN BE SO BUSY FOR GOD, THAT WE HAVE NO TIME TO BE WITH HIM. 

For effective living, HE must be our priority…. above our plans.   I find much of any stress I experience is because I’m not on the “same page” with God” on my daily planner. 

I’m learning that He’s far more interested in who I’M BECOMING INSIDE…. than what I’ll ever DO for Him.    When this garment of humility encases our attitude, we’ll be far more concerned about what He thinks about us than what others think of us.

When we dress for our day with Him, He chooses the circumstances where He’ll fit this garment of grace – humility — to us through what He allows in our lives.

Scripture verifies that this quality is “developed” …. we weren’t born with it.    Babies want:  what they want, when they want it, and how’s it’s to be presented.   Bottle or breast-fed wee ones seem to be the CEOs of their parents’ lives for a while, aren’t they!

Humility doesn’t have a “natural fit” to our bodies.   So, we need to go to the gym for some spiritual calisthenics — some spiritual disciplines to arrange and re-arrange a proper fitting of this garment.  

After spending a considerable amount of time looking at the subject of humility, I thought of re-naming it: “Renovation for Dedication.”   Because God is asking a few radical things in Romans 12:1-2 “Give your bodies, all of you to God, wholly and unreservedly.

Stop living here on earth like you’re going to retire here forever, adapting to all the customs and behavior of those who don’t belong to Me. Let Me TRANSFORM, or RENEW you into a new person by a 180-degree change of the way you think and live your life.”

The word “transform or renew” is like an OVERHAULING procedure by our loving Dad.   It means “remodeling” or “renovating”.    Ever done that to a house?  Sometimes God’s remodelling/renovation of his kids seems like everything is in disarray.

He asks us to:  

• Humble ourselves and get real about who you are and your constant dependence upon Me.   That affects our wanting to “control & handle everything in our life ourselves — thank you very much!”
• Tidy up your hands & hearts (cleansing of our lifestyle choices)
• Washing with tears now and then does wonders
• Clear away things the devil could use to entice you):   that’s a careful watch of our mental diet (what we view on TV, movies, books, videos), our choice of thought-life and close friendships, because we tend to become like those, we spend the most time with
• He asks us to move close and stay close to Him.   He can cuddle us much easier if we’re snuggling up close.

Ever try to cuddle a defiant, willful 2-year-old that says, “I do it myself?”

Only when the attitude of “I can’t, but I trust You” helps us off the exercise bike of wonder woman or super man.”    Once we’ve stopped pedaling and get in the back seat, we’re ready to “come along with Him, allowing Him to call the shots.”

Isn’t that what it means to let God be God…making Him the Lord, Master and CEO of our lives!

Then our Father-Designer-Coach rescues us from ourselves and brings us into the whirlpool of refreshment, strengthening, reviving and renewing our spirits.  He loves to pore on His favor, mercy, love and surprises to us to bring refreshment to a heart that’s bowed before His sovereignty — His control and plans.

 “The Lord shall guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought.”  Isa 58:11

I hold the year in My Hands – in trust for you.   But I shall guide you one day at a time.  Leave the rest with Me.”  God Calling devotional calendar for January 1.

When you’re making curtains or a dress, sometimes the room you’re working in can be a bit dangerous with your sewing tools of pins, needles and scissors. Being fitted for this inner garment requires a seriousness when we’re following the pattern.

Josiah fleshed this out by being in “God’s Word”, but more importantly “God’s Word got into Josiah.”   There were some drastic changes when Joe realized he and his countrymen were not walking or living God’s pattern.  

God used his current circumstances to teach him the seriousness of the pattern he was following.  His life and those under his influence made a 180-degree attitude and behavior change, to align themselves with God’s Word.

Blessings follow a humble and yielded life.

As we dress each day, humility is one piece of apparel we benefit from being clothed in.   It’s such a tender and beautiful garment.  Yet as we gaze around our relationships, I find it’s one that you don’t see a lot.  In the display cases of a Christian life, it’s never on sale, but at a premium price.    The cost is “letting go of self.”  

Humility is a difficult thing to explore or explain.  The one thing about it…if you’re proud you possess it, you don’t.

It’s not having an exaggerated opinion of his or her own importance; but to rate his or her ability with sober judgment.

He’s not saying don’t think of yourself.  But when we do, just be careful and accurate in our thinking.

Humility is seeing in the other person an importance greater than you see in yourself.

True humility is seeing ourselves as we really are … only from God’s perspective, not the neighbor down the street, and acting accordingly. 

People today practice false humility when they talk negatively about themselves so that others will think they are spiritual.  

FALSE humility is self-centered.  True humility is God-centered. It’s not saying or doing things to build up your own image…. but God’s!!!

I think humility is described best by what it’s not.

It’s not proud or haughty, self-assertive or overly aggressive.   It’s not showy or having an excessive elevated attitude of your own importance in an overbearing manner.

At one time or another in our lives, we’ve all been around an over-bearing person.  These people usually are musically minded — because they’re singing their own praises.

And one who sings their own praises — usually does so without much accompaniment.

If we were walking downtown in a large city and saw a display window of what humility is, these are some of the qualities I think we’d observe on the model:

• A teachable spirit or manner
• Valuing others above yourself …. along with
• Appreciating God’s work/ministry in others …. with no jealousy of how God is using that person

Leonard Bernstein was once asked which instrument was the most difficult to play. He thought for a moment and then replied, “The second fiddle. I can get plenty of first violinists, but to find someone who can play the second fiddle with enthusiasm – that’s a problem.    And if we have no second fiddle, we have no harmony.”

This attitude of humility is always willing to “learn” from others all through our life.  We’re always in school, aren’t we!  Sometimes in class, other times on the playground and then God’s refreshment and strength in the cafeteria.

Humility also means:   not having a “competitive spirit” in us.  And when it does raise its ugly head to get rid of it.  We’re to LIVE to be a complement to another.

We may compete “with fun” in games, but it’s a killer in a lifestyle. True humility is realizing who you are in Christ and all He’s done for you, and then compelled by that knowledge, to express to everyone you come across how SPECIAL THEY ARE.

The photo below so beautifully illustrates the adoring love and care of this precious Mother over her “newborn” child.  Her daughter’s entry into the world no doubt brought tremendous joy and anticipation as to the “potential” that would unfold in this lovely child.   This little one was “fashioned by her Creator,” for purposes to love and honor him.  

When my friend showed me this photo of her being cuddled and adored by her mom, I can’t imagine the joy and pleasure God had in designing this little girl.

How unique, valuable and loved she was as He created her; and her life has been and continues to be a “delight to Him,” and many others.  

 “For You created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;” Psalm 139: 13

Oh, that my life would beam with joy and enthusiasm in reaching out to the people He sends along my path of life, so that they may sense their “specialness to my Lord.”

There was a new believer I would get together with, and we were going through some verses on why she was created and how “precious and valuable” she was to God.     I shared how God had crowned her with His Son’s righteousness, forgave her for everything, she was now complete in Him.  She didn’t have to work hard to earn God’s love and favor as she already had it.

She began understanding that concept when she blurted out that it reminded her of when her Daddy called her “his princess.”  When her Daddy referred to her as his princess, she melted with joy because she felt so special and she wanted to live up to that name. 

When we realize our value and standing before Him, it should make us put our shoulders back, stand tall and appreciative, and be so overwhelmed with our own uniqueness and value to Him – we’ll be compelled by His love to express to OTHERS how special, unique and valued THEY ARE to Him.

Humility is realizing His love personally, but compelled to live that out before and on behalf of others.  It’s never a self-centered attitude.

Humility isn’t walking around diminishing our worth, and verbally camping on our inability to do much for our Lord, and how unworthy we are.   No, we’re not worthy, but our focus needs to be on Him and His accomplishment at the cross, and all He made possible for us to be. 

Gravelling in the dirt doesn’t bring our Designer honor because it’s a total disregard for His creative design of us.

We were all created in His image.  Each person in this world, because of the Lord Jesus Christ is “unique” and “special.”   Millions don’t know that…including many Christians.

That’s why Christ died for the whole world.  People long to hear that in our attitudes and behavior to them.  That involves us to be focused and living an intentional lifestyle of acceptance of people, and praying for them right ‘where they are.’

Humility will change us so we’ll look accurately at God, at others and at ourselves.  Our abilities, influence and talents are gifts from Him — to be employed as “gifts to others.”   We’ve been gifted for each other to bring Him glory.

It’s an intentional life of: “How can I serve you and benefit your life so you see and feel, in living reality, that you are so special and valued by God.

Humility is one of the most powerful of influences because it’s being “emptied of us” and “filled up with Him.”  

We’re invited to come to Christ as a child, weak, fragile, dependent people…not concerned with status or ladder climbing.   God isn’t into that.  

He’s looking for simple, ordinary people to do an extraordinary work in and through.

God’s gifts aren’t like where your mom might place them; you know, up high in a secure cookie jar.     They’re like Grandma’s supply, low and available in nice bite size pieces.  It does require bending low that we rise to the heights of a humbled heart and a winsome and contagious life of loving and serving others into the Kingdom.

“The true way to be humble is not to stoop until you are smaller than yourself, but to stand at your real height against some higher nature that will show you what the real smallness of your greatness is.”  Phillips Brooks   

Lord, I’m Yours and whatever the cost may Your will be done in my life.   I’m not here on earth to do my own thing, or to seek my own fulfillment or my own glory.  I’m not here to indulge my desires, to increase my possessions, to impress people, to be popular, to prove I’m somebody important, or to promote myself.  I’m not here even to be relevant or successful by human standards.  I’m here to please You.

I offer myself to You, for You are worthy.  All that I am or hope to be, I owe to You.  I’m Yours by creation, and every day I receive from Your life and breath and all things.  And I’m Yours because You bought me and the price You paid was the precious blood of Christ.  

You alone, the Triune God, are worthy to be my Lord and Master.  I yield to You, my gracious and glorious heavenly Father; to the Lord Jesus who loved me and gave Himself for me; to the Holy Spirit and His gracious influence and empowering.”  

All that I am and all that I have I give to You.  I give You my body and each of its members, my entire inner being:  my mind, my emotional life, my will, my loved ones, my marriage or hopes for marriage, my possessions, my past, my present, my future…I give you, my heart.   I’m here to love You, to obey You, to glorify You.  O my Beloved, may I be a joy to You.  “31 Days of Praise” by: Ruth Myers

P.S. I must apologize for “my error” in posting “Maturity” again; as it was posted in July. On the topic of “humility,” I thought it was appropriate to confess my mistake! Thanks for your understanding!