HAVING A SPIRIT OF HUMILITY

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.” James 4:10

     What does it mean to be humble before God?  Having a spirit of humility is exhibiting a certain meek, modest quality that to some may look like weakness.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  It is the meek in heart and attitude that has control over their emotions.  They exhibit self-control and an attitude of submissive respect.  We should be this way with our God and with man. 

     Having an arrogant, prideful spirit is quite the opposite of being humble.  That person believes life is all about them and they do whatever they can to let others know it.  It flies in the face of God’s standard for living a fulfilling and productive life for the kingdom.  Christian’s fall prey to being selfish & prideful just like anyone else.  The devil hits us at our weakest point.  Perhaps it’s a person’s lack of worldly success in their career.  Perhaps it’s our lack of physical stature.  Whatever it is, it pales in comparison to being in God’s favor and being lifted up in honor.  That requires different character traits than the world boasts.

     If you lack humility in your own walk with the Lord and know it, simply ask God to teach you how to become humble of spirit.  It starts by reading God’s word.  Don’t just blow thru a daily reading as if it were some religious requirement.  We should read the Bible not because we have to, but because we get to.  All the wisdom and guidance one will ever need is found within the pages of that book.  Ask the Lord to show you some special nugget of wisdom from the word each day.  Meditate on what you read.  Let it sink into your spirit and find a resting place in your heart.  We should humble ourselves before God because we are his creation.  It is out of admiration and respect that we bow before him.  Only then will he lift you up.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

NOTE:  The dictionary used was the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.  The translation used was the NEW LIVING TRANSLATION; Published by Tyndale House.