September 7 - Humility

by Audrey Bauman

Proverbs 28

"A tenderhearted person lives a blessed life; a hardhearted person lives a hard life." (v. 14)

"Walk straight - live well and be saved; a devious life is a doomed life."  (v. 18)

Proverbs 29

"The good-hearted understand what it's like to be poor; the hardhearted haven't the faintest idea." (v. 7)

"A fool lets it all hang out; a sage quietly mulls it over." (v. 11)

"Pride lands you flat on your face; humility prepares you for honours."   (v. 23)

Our culture today doesn't stress humility. Dictionary.com defines it as "the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance, rank, etc." Today, people seem more willing to make sure their opinions are heard. The middle-of-the-road person who is willing to hear all sides and come to some agreement is not valued as much. Yet that person who is willing to listen, think and care is really the person who helps keep our jobs, city, country functioning well.

If I want to know what humility is, who actually shows us true humility? Jesus! 

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
     He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
16 for through him God created everything
     in the heavenly realms and on earth.
 He made the things we can see
     and the things we can’t see—
 such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
     Everything was created through him and for him.
17 He existed before anything else,
     and he holds all creation together.
18 Christ is also the head of the church,
     which is his body.
 He is the beginning,
     supreme over all who rise from the dead.
     So he is first in everything.
19 For God in all his fullness
     was pleased to live in Christ,
20 and through him God reconciled
     everything to himself.
 He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
     by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.    (Colossians 1: 15 - 20  NLT) 

Did you read that? Did you realize how important Jesus is? How amazing? How creative and strong? How everything? If anyone could be the person who rules over everything, that would be Jesus.

Yet, Jesus was willing to leave Heaven and be born in an animal's stable. He lived with a carpenter dad and mom with several siblings. The last 3 years of his life, he taught what people needed to know and healed many in Israel. He didn't have a home of his own, or a good income to spend on any personal things. He was willing to die a horrendous death - just for each one of us. How humble is that?

That humility "made peace with everything in heaven and on earth". And that is what God wants from us.   Humility.

"Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."   Colossians 3: 12

Our song for today is Humble Heart by Vineyard Worship.  It says it is a Christmas worship song, but the words definitely apply to the verses we read today.