A light bulb went on for me this morning during my devotional reading in John 13.
It involves the question of why some people choose humility as a life pattern while others do not.
I had long viewed humility as a sign of internal strength rather than weakness. But why Jesus so frequently and so clearly displayed humility wasn’t as clear to me previously as it now is.
“Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.” (vv. 3-5 NLT).
Jesus had the internal strength of knowing that God had chosen Him for a special mission to save souls, He knew that He faced no challenge greater than His ability to overcome and He knew that His personal relationship with the Father was absolutely solid and that Father and Son would be reunited forever.
With that assurance and sense of purpose, Jesus knew that no matter how menial a task might be in the world’s eyes — even to the point of perceived humiliation — He was still Almighty God’s child entrusted with a vital ministry until He went home to His Abba Father.
His emotional security was based not upon what He was doing at the moment but instead upon the certainty of His spiritual relationship with His Father.
Hmmm…..
The more confidence we have in our eternal relationship with God, the more willing we’ll be to display humility on behalf of others.
Humility is never about weakness. It’s always about strength.
Humbly look to serve rather than pridefully looking to be served.
Humbly forgive rather than pridefully craving apologies from others.
Humbly donate to others’ needs rather than pridefully acting entitled to be given things.
Humbly apologize for misunderstandings and bruised feelings even when others share the blame.
Such choices don’t devalue us, no matter what lies Satan might be whispering to our minds. Instead, they show the value we place on our confidence in God’s love and His promise of eternity with Him.
As always, I love you
Martin
