Solomon tells us that “a happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing” (Proverbs 17:22, AMP ). God undoubtedly has a sense of humor; we need only look at some of the animals He created (it’s hard not to smile at the sight of a hippo, a monkey, or a puppy). Or think of some of the married couples you know: don’t you think God was smiling at the wedding as He looked ahead to the interaction of the wildly different personalities that will be living together?
humility
- got humility?
- humility: our participation in the life of Jesus
- the fruit of pride
- Lazarus, Night of the Living Dead, and the joy of surrender
- Jesus: humility in relationships
- humility: measured by everyday relationships
- encouragement for the journey
- humility and grace: free from “not”
- humility and confidence: the secret to Dan-free living
- good news! humility is God’s work
This is the sixth in a series on humility; it starts with “got humility?“
Yesterday’s post on Jesus, humility, and relationships anticipated the next step in Andrew Murray’s teaching. Murray moves from his foundation of humility in the life of Jesus to consider how it will be borne out in the life of the believer. He begins with 1 John 4:20: “for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” Murray contends that humility will be seen in relationships with people and not just with God:
It is a solemn thought that our love for God is measured by our everyday relationships with others. Except as its validity is proven in standing the test of daily life with our fellowmen, our love for God may be found to be a delusion. It is easy to think that we humble ourselves before God, but our humility toward others is the only sufficient proof that humility before God is real… In God’s presence, humility is not a posture we assume for a time — when we think of Him or pray to Him — but the very spirit of our life. It will manifest itself in all our bearing toward others. A lesson of deepest importance is that the only humility that is really ours is not the kind we try to show before God in prayer, but the kind we carry with us, and carry out, in our ordinary conduct. The seemingly insignificant acts of daily life are the test of eternity, because they prove what spirit possesses us… Humility before God is nothing if it is not proven in humility before others.
Holy Spirit, search my heart and uncover the pride that lurks there. Show me how to live in true humility, and give me opportunities to live it in my relationships, just as Jesus did.
This is a dangerous prayer, because it guarantees that our relationships will offer us the chance to choose humility; we will be put to the test. But it’s the only way to grow; humility is developed not in isolation but in interaction. If we truly want to be humble, this is a risk we must be willing to take.
- filed in humility series, living the life
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Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.