The great are humble.
So what is humility?
http://bible.com/116/mat.18.1-4.nlt
About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Humility isn’t doing impressive things and then smugly saying, “Oh, it was nothing.” No, that is pride implying “that was nothing for me”.
Humility is being like a child who trusts in those who are in authority over them to provide everything and to teach them.
And children can either be childish, acting prideful and having an attitude of “my house is better than yours” or “my toys are better than yours” or “I want what she has” – or they can be childlike, recognizing that things aren’t theirs, they all belong to their Father and they should be grateful and trusting in Him to provide exactly what they need.
You see, humility comes from recognizing and accepting our position at the feet of the master. A humble child is a willing student, sitting at the feet of the teacher as they are listening and understanding, trusting that the Lord knows best about every area of their life, so they value and cling to His instruction.
While a rebellious child thinks that he knows better than his teacher, thinks that it’s better to do it his own way, only listening and accepting those teachings that “fit” with his own opinions.
Christ did not call us to join a religion and then use His name in vain as we call ourselves Christians but live a life remaining in sin and rebellion. He says lay down your life, pick up your cross and bear it, and watch as I carry you through the storms and lift you up to walk on water.
But to see Him alive and working in our lives, we must make a choice. Not just a choice in our minds, but in our actions, or words, our thoughts, our everything – to trust Him and to follow Him.
We choose with each decision whether to rebel or obey, whether to let the world see Christ or if they are only seeing us.
It is vitally important that we make the right choice, friends. For the path is narrow and is full of trials and challenges that leads to eternal life, because it is a path of humble submission to God’s will. But broad is the path that leads to destruction.
Are you encountering trials in your faith walk today, friend? Are you digging deep to find those areas not yet swept clean in your dwelling place for the Holy Spirit? Are you resisting evil and surrendering even that one area of sin that you have held onto in the past?
It’s important to stay off that broad, easy, comfortable, complacent, lukewarm path, friend –
http://bible.com/116/gal.5.19-21.nlt
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
http://bible.com/116/rev.3.15-16.nlt
I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!
http://bible.com/116/mat.7.13-14.nlt
You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.
http://bible.com/116/jhn.14.6-12.nlt
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.
Go forth, and be humbled by the great works He does through you, friend. Walk this narrow path. It isn’t easy, but it is good.
Yes, this walk is humbling as we find daily more things that don’t yet look like Christ and as we take this sword and cut out the disease by applying His Word and trusting Him and following Him. But we are also encouraged to keep running this race to the finish as we see what is cut out and changed in our life already.
We must not become prideful about what is already cut out, but deep in despair about what still needs to be changed – we need to trust in the Lord and put forth our best fight, resisting evil, relying on His strength and guidance, running this race to win.
Harold J. Ballinger 