If there's one lesson in 2012 I would never forget was when God taught me how to become humble.
Humility is probably one of the weakest values I have. Growing up with much attention and praises coming from everyone, it was so difficult for me to practice being humble. Excelling in different areas made me realize that I'm special and better than anyone else. At first, I was confident that these accomplishments were my stepping stone to a brighter future; to a name everyone will dearly remember; to a legacy most would want to imitate. Later on, I found no joy, security and love in here. Rather, more than victory, I've experienced defeat.
I'm certain that I'm not the only proud soul in here. As worldly individuals, our tendency is to give pride to ourselves; to live up for our own glory and to stand up mightily among a crowd. We were not born to be passive achievers but active achievers, who would want all the aces as much as possible. The degree of our desire is what makes our pride distinct from each other. But the root and the result are one in nature. The root is the enemy's work of using our hearts for something that will destroy us and will displease God. The result is no matter how well you started out your plan to thrive, you end up empty and worthless.
Pride and humility are so powerful that the enemy combines them during attack so that it leaves you handicapped. Pride and humility: we love them both ways only that we practice them wrongly. We are so blinded with their effect that instead of us being the controller, they are the ones ruling over us.
Battling over pride and humility a couple times didn't make me a pro in this context. From time to time, the Lord teaches me a different lesson and changes my heart and perspective in life. It was not easy to throw away my old self including the glory days, but when God told me that in Him I can be secured in everything, I felt that the chains were cut off. I was released from the works of evilness. I was more than free.
I remembered that when I was in 2nd grade, my section's name was HUMBLE. And on our wall says: "Humility is not to put yourself down but to accept who you are. What you can do and what you really can't." This line, I must say, helped me in understanding what true humility is. But still, when this is associated with a context apart from Christ, we'll still perceive it the wrong way.
God is greater than all of us, by all means, in all ways.
Don't feel you're less of a person when you practice humility for God is pleased with you.
It's God who will lift you up. Do not fear for He cares for you.
The Lord is the only one capable of humbling us down. If we rely on ourselves, we're just wasting our energy. We cannot do it apart from Christ.
5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:5-7
If you become the dictator of your own life, you see pride and humility in these ideas:
PRIDE
- It is something you run after to
- It defines who you are, what you can do and what you are good at
- You value it like a material object
- You keep track of its quality and quantity
- It makes you better than anyone else
- You work hard for it
- It is your ultimate goal
- You take good care of it, water it and make it grow
- You find your security in it
HUMILITY
- It is something you do to lift your spirit up
- You practice it because it makes you "good"
- You do it so that your righteousness will be noticed
- You equate it with heaven
- You associate it with good deeds=salvation
- You use it as an advantage
- You hide under its goodness
- You do it to keep you clean and fresh as new
Apart from Christ being the center of everything we do, even our values suffer. The wrong motives and second thoughts implanted in us destroy us too. When we allow Jesus' love to change our hearts so that our humility becomes automatic and natural rather than planned, that's when we see true humility. At the end of the day, it's still Jesus.
Jesus' love set me free.
Sealing this with love,
Diane
