I read this quote the other day on my friend's myspace, "Constantly thinking little of ourselves is still thinking constantly of ourselves." That sparked some thinking on my part about humility.
So, how is it we are to be humble, or walk in humility? I did some searching and found 3 descriptions, which I thought were worth sharing.
I searched wikipedia for humility and found this definition:
Humility is a quality or characteristic ascribed to a person who is considered to be humble. "Humility is derived from the Latin word "humilis", which means low, humble, from earth. A humble person is generally thought to be unpretentious and modest: someone who does not think that he or she is better or more important than others. The concept of humility in various religions is often much more precise and extensive. Humility is not to be confused with humiliation, which is the act of making someone else feel ashamed, and is something completely different.
Read what the Bible teaches about how to walk in humility:
James 1:19
[ Act on What You Hear ] Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God's righteousness doesn't grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.
I then came across Kathryn Kuhlman's website (http://kathrynkuhlman.com/) and read what she had written about Humility. Personally, this really puts it in perspective for me.
Humility
by Kathryn Kuhlman
Wherever you find real love, you will also find humility. Remember something: humility is not a weak and timid quality. Too often we feel that humility is a sign of weakness. This is not so. It is the sign of strength and security.
As an example, let me share a memorable experience I had as a young child. It was a hot Saturday night and Papa and I were about
to enter the meat market situated on the main street of Concordia, Missouri. The two of us were at the doorway when suddenly a man, noticeably very drunk, shoved Papa back. I saw my father step aside and hold the door open while the stranger staggered into the market. Standing nearby was a man watching the whole scene. Knowing that Papa was mayor of Concordia, he asked, "Joe Kuhlman, are you going to let him get away with that?" I was still holding onto Papa's hand when I saw him smile and answer: "I can afford to let him go first." That was a lesson in love and humility that I have never forgotten.
Humility is a show of security and strength. It is the solid foundation of all virtues, and I believe that the very first test of a truly great man is his humility.
The Kathryn Kuhlman Foundation © All rights reserved.
Lord,
Along with getting dressed in daily armor, let us also remember to put on humility. Help us to remember it's not about us. When we are complimented for something we do well, let us remember that it is You who has given us that talent or that gifting. We are nothing without you. Let our lives be a reflection of Who You Are! Thank you Jesus, for all that you do, in us, and through us. Amen!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
"What don't they have at Wal-Mart?"
I was encouraged recently about praying for people in public. My first thought was that I never run into people in a public setting that ask for prayer. At church, prayer is an expected and accepted thing to do, but in public, now that's different.
Or is it??
I was challenged to take a look around during my next visit to Wal-Mart (which didn't take long as trips to Wal-Mart seem daily). Sure enough, that place seems to have an array of people limping, coughing, and hurting. My conclusion is that Wal-Mart is a place that DOES have everything, including opportunities for the Lord to perform miracles and encourage us in our faith.
One such miracle happened there last Saturday.
The boys and I were on our way back to our car after shopping when we noticed smoke coming from a car parked a few spaces down from ours. We happened upon this scene the same time as a man and his wife. I immediately noticed the panic reflecting on their faces as they, too, grasped what was unfolding.
Through the smoke, inside the car, sat someone jerking back and forth having a seizure. Their foot was pressed on the accelerator and the engine was racing full speed, thus causing the smoke. The man reached in and turned the car off and got the person out of the car. The person was still convulsing as this man placed them on the concrete to lie down. Saliva was bubbling from their mouth.
So, here we are, the boys and I, watching this scene unravel. In the background, I hear a quiet, frightened voice, "Mom, what do we do?" Without hesitation, an immediate bold answer welled up inside me, "WE PRAY!" It wasn't an elaborate prayer, just "Jesus, we need you, here, now!"
My eyes met the woman standing across from me as she reached for her cell phone and announced she was calling 911. IMMEDIATELY, I looked up and a fire truck was pulling into the lot. The boys and I frantically began waving our arms at the firemen. They waved back, thinking we were nothing more than intrigued fans. These guys were on a break! They didn't even know there was a call for help being made at that very moment!
The boys ran to the firemen and told them what was happening. They got their equipment together, but they weren't a first responder unit so they didn't have much medical gear on board. They arrived at the parking place the same time a doctor walked over and asked to help. All this happened in a time span of 3 minutes!! The woman was still on the phone with the police department telling them exactly where we were and then I heard her say that there was a fire department AND a doctor already on scene.
How did all this happen?? How did the schedule of the fire department and the timing of the doctor all occur at the EXACT moment? I believe, because of prayer, GOD performed a miracle!! We asked Him for help, and He responded. His Word says, "And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father" John 14:13
Because of the impact of this experience, I followed up at our local hospital. When I walked into the emergency room, this person was sitting up and was alert. At the scene this person was unconscious, so I shared about how the Lord orchestrated the schedules of so many people "just for them!"
The truth is, the Lord loves EACH of us that much! I wonder just how much goes on in my life that I'm not even aware the Lord is working? Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." I want THIS kind of faith, everyday, even at Wal-Mart!
Lord, I ask you for opportunities to build up our faith. I ask for boldness to do what You would have us to do in and through those opportunities. Above all, I ask that we would know just how much you love us ~ how deep, how wide, and how high is your love for us. I ask for your help in believing that You have a plan for every minute of our lives. If we are breathing, we have purpose! Help us to walk in that promise. Thank you Jesus - for life and life more abundantely! And thank you for allowing my family to witness another of Your miracles.
Or is it??
I was challenged to take a look around during my next visit to Wal-Mart (which didn't take long as trips to Wal-Mart seem daily). Sure enough, that place seems to have an array of people limping, coughing, and hurting. My conclusion is that Wal-Mart is a place that DOES have everything, including opportunities for the Lord to perform miracles and encourage us in our faith.
One such miracle happened there last Saturday.
The boys and I were on our way back to our car after shopping when we noticed smoke coming from a car parked a few spaces down from ours. We happened upon this scene the same time as a man and his wife. I immediately noticed the panic reflecting on their faces as they, too, grasped what was unfolding.
Through the smoke, inside the car, sat someone jerking back and forth having a seizure. Their foot was pressed on the accelerator and the engine was racing full speed, thus causing the smoke. The man reached in and turned the car off and got the person out of the car. The person was still convulsing as this man placed them on the concrete to lie down. Saliva was bubbling from their mouth.
So, here we are, the boys and I, watching this scene unravel. In the background, I hear a quiet, frightened voice, "Mom, what do we do?" Without hesitation, an immediate bold answer welled up inside me, "WE PRAY!" It wasn't an elaborate prayer, just "Jesus, we need you, here, now!"
My eyes met the woman standing across from me as she reached for her cell phone and announced she was calling 911. IMMEDIATELY, I looked up and a fire truck was pulling into the lot. The boys and I frantically began waving our arms at the firemen. They waved back, thinking we were nothing more than intrigued fans. These guys were on a break! They didn't even know there was a call for help being made at that very moment!
The boys ran to the firemen and told them what was happening. They got their equipment together, but they weren't a first responder unit so they didn't have much medical gear on board. They arrived at the parking place the same time a doctor walked over and asked to help. All this happened in a time span of 3 minutes!! The woman was still on the phone with the police department telling them exactly where we were and then I heard her say that there was a fire department AND a doctor already on scene.
How did all this happen?? How did the schedule of the fire department and the timing of the doctor all occur at the EXACT moment? I believe, because of prayer, GOD performed a miracle!! We asked Him for help, and He responded. His Word says, "And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father" John 14:13
Because of the impact of this experience, I followed up at our local hospital. When I walked into the emergency room, this person was sitting up and was alert. At the scene this person was unconscious, so I shared about how the Lord orchestrated the schedules of so many people "just for them!"
The truth is, the Lord loves EACH of us that much! I wonder just how much goes on in my life that I'm not even aware the Lord is working? Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." I want THIS kind of faith, everyday, even at Wal-Mart!
Lord, I ask you for opportunities to build up our faith. I ask for boldness to do what You would have us to do in and through those opportunities. Above all, I ask that we would know just how much you love us ~ how deep, how wide, and how high is your love for us. I ask for your help in believing that You have a plan for every minute of our lives. If we are breathing, we have purpose! Help us to walk in that promise. Thank you Jesus - for life and life more abundantely! And thank you for allowing my family to witness another of Your miracles.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
On The Spot
I asked my dear husband to write this weeks devotion due to my hectic schedule. I was blessed as I read it. I pray that it challenges you as well.
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On the Spot
Read Luke 18:18-23, ( I dare you.)
I think about being put on the spot. I was put on the spot today, asked to do something that I really did not feel like doing. The funny thing about it is that it brought to mind almost immediately the parable of the rich young ruler. After reading this parable and asking the Lord for discernment, I began to get an understanding of the depth of sorrow that the young man must have felt. He truly wanted to inherit eternal life. I mean, he didn’t just ask Jesus how he could get it……he said “what shall I do….” This guy already had it figured that he was going to get there. He just needed to know what to do next. This is when Jesus put him on the spot.
I get asked to do things I don’t want to do. I get asked to answer for things I really don’t want to answer for. Some things happen to me in front of people I don’t want to see it. Sometimes I am made to be responsible for things I don’t care to be responsible for. Somewhere in this heart of mine is a little (don’t I wish it were little!) piece of selfishness that just wants it all to go the way I want it to go. For thirty some years I had never found myself put on a “spot” that I could not avoid, ignore, or just plain not give a darn about. One day I could no longer avoid the truth. I was put on the spot and I had to answer for the truth as I knew it. It was hard because I knew that it meant serving something other than me. It meant that I had to give up everything I had, and this meant everything, to serve another. Even today my flesh was screaming to not give in and do what I know the Lord would want me to do. So here I am.
This rich young man thought he had the answers already. He wasn’t asking because he was truly ready to commit. He had ulterior motives. Hmmm. Many times I too have these motives. But the day I ran out of places to hide from the truth I already knew was the day that God put me on the spot. I too was full of sorrow when faced with the decision to commit myself to a life for Christ. It was time to die. Nobody really wants to die. It is what made the rich young man sorrowful, I believe. Today I am happy in Christ, not in the state of my physical life and all of the things tied to it. It was a death well worth dying to be birthed again in the joy of serving a King that has a place for me in His kingdom. Every day I am put on the spot, nothing has changed about this. The difference is that I now find myself blessed to serve another, and I no longer feel the need to ask “what shall I do…..” (Luke 18:18-23)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
On the Spot
Read Luke 18:18-23, ( I dare you.)
I think about being put on the spot. I was put on the spot today, asked to do something that I really did not feel like doing. The funny thing about it is that it brought to mind almost immediately the parable of the rich young ruler. After reading this parable and asking the Lord for discernment, I began to get an understanding of the depth of sorrow that the young man must have felt. He truly wanted to inherit eternal life. I mean, he didn’t just ask Jesus how he could get it……he said “what shall I do….” This guy already had it figured that he was going to get there. He just needed to know what to do next. This is when Jesus put him on the spot.
I get asked to do things I don’t want to do. I get asked to answer for things I really don’t want to answer for. Some things happen to me in front of people I don’t want to see it. Sometimes I am made to be responsible for things I don’t care to be responsible for. Somewhere in this heart of mine is a little (don’t I wish it were little!) piece of selfishness that just wants it all to go the way I want it to go. For thirty some years I had never found myself put on a “spot” that I could not avoid, ignore, or just plain not give a darn about. One day I could no longer avoid the truth. I was put on the spot and I had to answer for the truth as I knew it. It was hard because I knew that it meant serving something other than me. It meant that I had to give up everything I had, and this meant everything, to serve another. Even today my flesh was screaming to not give in and do what I know the Lord would want me to do. So here I am.
This rich young man thought he had the answers already. He wasn’t asking because he was truly ready to commit. He had ulterior motives. Hmmm. Many times I too have these motives. But the day I ran out of places to hide from the truth I already knew was the day that God put me on the spot. I too was full of sorrow when faced with the decision to commit myself to a life for Christ. It was time to die. Nobody really wants to die. It is what made the rich young man sorrowful, I believe. Today I am happy in Christ, not in the state of my physical life and all of the things tied to it. It was a death well worth dying to be birthed again in the joy of serving a King that has a place for me in His kingdom. Every day I am put on the spot, nothing has changed about this. The difference is that I now find myself blessed to serve another, and I no longer feel the need to ask “what shall I do…..” (Luke 18:18-23)
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