Being “HUMBLE” in a prideful world!

Being humble can be a challenge in a prideful world! Pride is the patterns we see everywhere we go and in everything we do! However, we are taught in scripture not to conform to the patterns of this world! How do we not conform to the patterns and ways of the world? How do we live in this world but not be consumed by it? The world and it’s influences are getting louder and louder! The only way is through a real relationship with Jesus, as we chose to saturate our mind with God’s living word, the Bible! James 4:6-10 NIV, “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

We need to be humble by aligning our lives up with what God says as we pray for God’s will for our lives! Romans 12:2 NIV, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Then we would be able to live out love by sharing about Jesus everywhere we go as we seek Him continually each day! Pride will cause us to sink with the world as it consumes the mind, effects the heart, and finally in your actions! Because out of your mouth, you heart will speak or live out by how you love and react in all situations! When we chose to be humble, you will see the world differently! You will chose the valley instead of the mountain top as you fix your eyes on Jesus who is the author and perfecter of your faith! It’s continually choosing not to give up on doing good when struggles in life come in like a flood! It’s choosing to be quick to listen! Galatians 6-9 NIV, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” It’s trusting all of God’s promises that you will reap a harvest if you don’t give up! As we choose to pick up our cross daily especially when you feel weighed down, remember God cares for you and wants you to give them all to Him! Trust Him that He will never leave you or forsake you! When we are being transformed in our minds through reading the Bible everyday, God is continually changing us! We can’t do this alone! 1 John 2:16, “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” Pride blinds us and keeps us from truth as every distraction or influence either pulls you to the left or the right! It keeps us from giving all our troubles to Jesus! It keeps us from relationships and being real with our sisters brothers! It puffs us up, making circumstances or struggles look better than some else’s or worse! Pride keeps people from going in the right direction in their relationships with God and each other! Matthew 7:13-14, NIV ““Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” I read Ezekiel 28, and Pride is ugly! It hurt relationships! It important to be humble knowing no one is perfect and Pride can sneaks up on us all when we least expect it! We need God to continually search our hearts! I know for me, I would want someone to let me know I’m going the wrong way, so I won’t continue down the wrong path! However, Pride can get in the way on how we let people know! Pride can lead to misunderstandings, miscommunication, and judgment! I read today that there is a difference between truth and fact from a devotional! Truth comes from God who loves all of us! Facts about a person isn’t their identity in Christ!

We can love each other more when we focus on the truth of who someone is rather than focusing on the facts (worldly identity)! We need to remember Love tells the truth “in love” and respect! If you do nothing is that love? If we don’t go to the person and ask questions, is that love? The enemy prowls around looking for someone to devour, and he is the father of lies and loves Pride! The enemy is an example of pride before the fall when he was kick out of heaven! Luke 10:18 NIV “He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” We need to be on guard because pride will cause us all to be blind and fall! Jesus is the Truth and the Life and we need to focus on truth about everyone not fact! The fact is all of us fall short of the Glory of God! The Truth (Jesus) set us free when He died for all of our past, present and future sins! We need to be awake, alert, and sober minded as we choose to be humble loving God and each other! We need to wear the full armor of God all day long! We need to wear the belt of truth! Ephesians 6:13-17 NIV, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

There are influence out there in the world through social media, gossip, half truth stories based on some fact or guesses, YouTube, tv, movies, talk shows and more that we need to be careful of! These influences your thinking and behaviors as lies sneaks in your thoughts! However, we are not to conform to these ways and need to practice daily guarding our minds and need to focus on what God says! Philippians 4:8-9 NIV, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” The world is confusing and constantly changing! Jesus doesn’t change! Hebrews 13:8 NIV, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

It’s important to keep meeting with each other in prayer as you are washed with God’s living words to lift each other up! To share truth in love! I’m so very thankful for relationships God has brought in my life because it’s through doing life together that God did so much work in my heart! I can see now how the enemy wanted to isolate me from relationships in the body of Christ through many different ways like being busy, work, things happing right on the same day when lifegroup happens and more! We need to fight for relationship! Hebrews 10:22-25 NIV “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” What does spur mean exactly? The Greek meaning of spur is “to provoke,” and “to stir up.” The negative means to dispute, contend, or exasperate. The way we spur each other on to love and good deeds must come from truth given to all of us, not just certain people and not just in fact! We need to get involved in your sisters and brothers lives to get to know them as we entice or motivate them to follow Jesus! When we entice one another towards love, it must come from the source of love, God! Love is our foundation in which we stand without it we will sink! Without love, everything comes from pride! However, If you spur your sisters and brothers causing dispute, contend, or exasperate, then it doesn’t come from God! It comes from the flesh or the patterns of the world! The patterns of this world is unstable and full of pride! The Great Commandment, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. [and] ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments (Matthew 22:37-40, NIV). We need to pray as we listen to the heart of your sisters and brothers in Christ!

We must be humble by choosing to follow Jesus! As we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, we need to patiently wait on Him. Isaiah 64:8 NIV, “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand” God loves us all and His timing is perfect as he molds us! God is the potter and we are clay! The squeezing and pressure in this process is hard and uncomfortable as we live completely dependent on God! We need to allow God to search our heart too! Psalms 139:23-24 NIV “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” This requires humility because we need to allow God to light up all of our heart! This means you need to let people in your lives! This can be uncomfortable and even painful as you choose to allow God to refine you and mold you! 1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV, “humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” God will gently search the secrets of the heart, as he reveals things you were unaware of! God will reveal to us what is offensive! This might not feel gentle because it will be hard! He brings relationships in our lives for very specific reasons! We can’t do this on our own!

When we live out being humble in a prideful world, our children will see and grow to know how God is at work in everything, and see “Him” as we become less so God becomes more in our lives! They will see and experience this unconditional love that comes from God and they will not depart from it! They will know that they are wanted by God no matter what and deeply loved! God has no favoritism! We need to think about what it really means to treat people the way you want to be treated! As we live out loving God and our neighbor! John 3:30-36 NIV, “He must become greater; I must become less.” The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” We need to live this out as we spur each other toward love and good deeds! When we love people the way Jesus loves us, we are loving God!

Let’s all pray together for Unity in the body of Christ! Let’s pray for each other and for those who don’t know God loves them yet! We need to be United together in Jesus!