The Invitation to Humility - Your Nightly Prayer - March 19th
Your Nightly Prayer
Audio By Carbonatix
By Greg Grandchamp, Crosswalk.com
The Invitation to Humility
Your Nightly Prayer
By Greg Grandchamp
TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” - James 4:10
SOMETHING TO PONDER
Humility is difficult to achieve. As darkness is the absence of light, so humility can be described as the absence of pride. Yet, when we focus on humility, it can become a source of pride when we believe we are humble people. One cannot say, “I’m humble and proud of it.”
Though we often hear teachings from the Bible about humility, many believers feel uncertain about what it means to truly humble ourselves before God. In our spiritual walk, we are called to embrace humility. James, the brother of Jesus, spoke to this from personal experience. He and his other brothers mocked Jesus before they knew the truth – then had to swallow their pride. James reminded us of the words of Solomon: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” (James 4:6/Proverbs 3:34) – and then added the directive to “humble ourselves before the Lord, and He will lift us up.” Similar words were written by Peter: "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." (1 Peter 5:6)
To humble ourselves before God draws us closer to the Lord and strengthens our relationship with Him. We are called to daily surrender our will and our plans to God. Jesus calls us to take up our own cross daily – which means putting our old selves behind us and leaning into the leading of the Holy Spirit as we move forward. Famed author C.S. Lewis described humility not as thinking less of ourselves but rather thinking of ourselves less. Our sinful natures want their own way and do not want to be humbled. The task may not be as easy as it might seem. Our pride is stubborn and too often gets in the way.
As disciples of Christ, we can look to Jesus as our mentor and teacher. Jesus exemplified what it means to live humbly and to serve others selflessly. In Him, we can see that humility is not a sign of weakness – it is an invaluable source of strength, love, giving, and serving. In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus told the parable of the proud Pharisee and the humble tax collector, who was looked down upon by the entire community as a sinner, praising his humility. In humility, Jesus reached out and touched the leper. (Matthew 8:2-3) In humility, Jesus allowed himself to be arrested, tortured, and put to death on a cross – enduring spiritual separation from the Father – to pay for our sin.
When we submit ourselves to the will of God, there is no room for pride. His call on our lives may require us to live more humbly than we might choose. To help when no one else does. To give more than we think we can afford, relying on Him to see us through. Yet, when we keep our gaze fixed on the reward of eternity, we will find it is easier to embrace humility and surrender here on earth.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Oh, glorious Father in heaven,
Let Your name be praised. Father, help me to live my life in humility in all that I do. Help me to live for your kingdom and your glory, and not my own. Father, keep me from any feelings of self-righteousness. Help me to walk humbly before you and to glorify you and your son Jesus in everything I do. It is in that powerful name of Jesus that I pray.
Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. Challenge your motives in everything you do by asking yourself, "Is this for His glory – or my own?" Are you vocal about the good things you do – or do you serve in silence?
2. Honestly evaluate your response when someone hurts you, or you feel offended, overlooked, or under-appreciated. Then admit to yourself – and to the Lord – that the pain of self-pity you’re feeling is a result of pride. Then take comfort knowing Jesus was also rejected, misunderstood, and often overlooked.
3. Recognizing areas of pride in our lives is critical to defeating them. Yes, we will often fail. At the end of each day, try to capture those moments of failure and take them to the Lord so they cannot flourish or fester.
Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Dewang Gupta
Grandchamp is an author and speaker. His book, “In Pursuit of Truth, A Journey Begins,” is an easy-to-read narrative that offers answers to the most common questions new believers and non-believers have about Jesus Christ (Amazon.) Greg speaks on living out our faith in our daily lives – and on creating true disciples of Christ.
Greg doesn’t pretend to be a pastor, a theologian, or a Bible expert, but offers the perspective of an everyday guy on the same journey as everyone else – in pursuit of truth.
Greg can be reached by email or on Facebook @ Greg Grandchamp - Author.
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