For those of you who made it past the title congratulations and welcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When reading the Bible, I recognized I’m always casting myself as the Hero or the Protagonist. Do you do this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seriously….<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why am I David and not Goliath?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why am I Esther and not Haman?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why am I Daniel or the three Hebrew Boys and not Nebuchadnezzar?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why am I Jesus with the whip and not the person whose table gets flipped over?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’m learning a great exercise in humility is seeing myself exclusively as the villain…the one with the evil, prideful heart. One reason this exercise proves to be so effective is that it’s true<\/u><\/strong>\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026AND it keeps me coming back to Calvary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have been thinking about humility a lot lately. Mainly because it seems to be in such short supply in our culture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I don’t think anyone would disagree. But if they did they would do it proudly and boastfully in a six-Tweet thread or an eight-paragraph status on Facebook. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When we talk about humility we typically collectively shake our heads saying: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026it\u2019s a shame there isn’t more humility.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n I don’t think we treat it with the severity that it deserves. I know I often don\u2019t. In fact, In the past I\u2019ve said of a Christian leader (in my heart, not out loud): <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018\u2026so he\u2019s a little arrogant. It\u2019s not like he committed adultery or something.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n When I\u2019m repenting of my own heinous pride, I tell God \u201csorry\u201d\u2026followed by a detailed list of why the other person is still the one in the wrong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet everywhere in scripture pride is deadly. I think it’s effects are best put in the book of James:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.\u201d (James 4:6<\/a>)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s serious, right? When we lack humility God is actively resisting us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some of the definitions for \u2018resisteth\u2019:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without humility, we are left without grace. Graceless. That pretty much sums up our current society, right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n And before you lift yourself up to point your righteous finger at the other side, you and I, my friends, ARE society. We are the prideful ones and this scripture in James says the repercussions of that could not be any grimmer: <\/p>\n\n\n\n God wages battle against us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And not only that, we begin to even oppose ourselves. That may sound weird, but anyone who has ever been caught up in addiction knows exactly what that means. Pride will make you do things that ultimately end in your own demise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So maybe our hearts aren\u2019t as good as we think they are. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is not an exercise in low self-esteem. Quite the contrary. This is a much needed inventory to keep our hearts from being \u201chardened through the deceitfulness of sin.\u201d (Hebrews 3:13) And make no mistake about it: pride is sin.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n So maybe you\u2019re not Elijah calling down fire on the wicked prophets. Maybe you’re Jezebel, the Queen with the bad attitude who will do absolutely anything to get her way. And maybe that unyielding, prideful attitude drives everyone you love into a cave of fear. Are you willing to entertain that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Allow me to remind you (and myself) again, that this is not about beating yourself up. Why? JESUS!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9<\/a>)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of Jesus, I can take this prideful heart and all its inclinations to Him. And He\u2019s faithful and just to forgive me. That\u2019s it. Humbly take it to Him and receive the gift of grace and forgiveness that he freely offers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I love that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So how can you tell if you’re a humble person? It’s weird, right? If someone asks if you’re humble and you say \u201cyes,\u201d then you\u2019ve almost immediately contradicted your proclamation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The way I\u2019ve learned to identify humility in my own life is simply: grace.<\/em><\/strong> Makes sense, right? If God gives \u2018more grace’ to the humble, humble people would always have \u2018more grace\u2019 to extend to others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most gracious people I know are the most humble people I know. They\u2019re quickly willing to grant grace and mercy to others because they\u2019re intimately acquainted with the grace and mercy they receive from Christ daily. As opposed to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Haman harboring grievances and offenses and plotting sweeping revenge. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n An older son working for his father but still boiling with bitterness and envy. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n A murderous King Saul lashing out at everyone because of his own disobedience.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n In all honesty, I\u2019ve been all three of those \u2018villains\u2019 and more. But\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.\u201d (Ephesians 2:4-6<\/a>)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n