Humility: True Greatness

I began a new book last night and just thought I'd share a few insights from it.  It's entitled Humility: True Greatness by C J Mahaney.  Now I have to say, I had mixed feelings about reading a book entitled humility.  Sounds like a toe stepping type of book.  And besides, who wants to humbled?  I'd like to live with humility, but I don't necessarily want to go through the process of becoming humbled.  Been there, done that - do I really want to do it again?  But, regardless, I picked it up and started to read.  Join me as I work my way through it, you might decide you want to read it too.

When I asked a child yesterday what he thought humility was he told me never taking credit for something good they had done.  He described people who were humble as always saying "it's no big deal" when someone said they did something good.  My personal definition of humility was pretty close to his - never wanting to take credit for what I had accomplished but always giving others credit.  Dictionary.com defines it as 1)  not proud or arrogant; modest: to be humble although successful. 2) having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience, etc. 3) low in rank, importance, status, quality, etc.; lowly: of humble origin; a humble home. 4) courteously respectful or 5) low in height, level, etc.  No wonder we don't want to be humble!

Mahoney defines humility as "honestly accessing ourselves in light of God's holiness and our sinfulness."  Ouch!  do I really want to evaluate myself in light of God's holiness?  I'm not sure I am going to like what I see.  So why would I want to put myself through this?  I mean, don't we have enough problems with self image as it is?  Do I really want to come face to face with the reality of my sinfulness?  And as any good American would ask, what's in it for me if I do?  The answer  - read Isaiah 66:2.

"For My hand made all these things,  Thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD "But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word. "   (New American Standard)

The English Standard Version says "I have made everything; that's how it all came to be.  I, the LORD, have spoken. The people I treasure most are the humble-- they depend only on me and tremble when I speak"

Humility draws God's gaze to you.  Humility draws God's attention to you.  You become treasured by becoming humble.  James reminds us that we receive God's grace by being humble.  I don't know about you, but I could use all the grace of God I can get, especially if I am going to stop measuring myself by worldly terms and compare my sinful life to God's holiness.

So, on with the book I'll go.  Perhaps I do want to be humbled.

As for daily life - we have open house on Sunday.  We have had nearly 100 hits on the open house flier that was sent out via the internet on Tuesday.  Pray that those looking on the internet will come to look in person.  Pray that all the upgrades we did to the kitchen last week will be the key to one of them falling in love with the house.  Pray for all the emotions that go with having a house on the market. 

Scott and Hannah will be speaking and sharing at Northwoods United Methodist Church in Jacksonville, North Carolina on Sunday.  Pray for them.  This is the church that Scott grew up in and his mom is still a part of.  Pray for their safe travel and words that they will share.