Serve | Day 11

Everyone serves; the only question is who or what is it they serve? Some people serve money. They live, breathe, and think about it every day. Others because of money serve their financial institution, their banks, credit cards, or credit unions. King Solomon said that “the borrower is a slave to the lender. Some are slaves to sports, while others are slaves to different vices. The truth is that we all serve someone or something; we’re either self-serving, or we’re others-serving. The people who accomplish and live extraordinary lives understand that serving others and not self is the path to living an extraordinary life.

BIBLE READING:

“If one of you wants to be great, you must be the servant of the rest; and if one of you wants to be first, you must be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served; he came to serve and to give his life to redeem many people.” –

Mark 10:43-45 GNT

In my estimation Jesus is the greatest and most extraordinary man of all times. He built his brand in only three years and more than two thousand years later his brand has millions of franchises worldwide. And, in its thousands of years of its existence no one has been able to stop it, not threats, persecution or even death. Entire governments, nations, and civilizations have come and gone but the Jesus brand is as strong as ever.

Jesus’ method is so simple that anyone can learn it. It’s so simple that the least among us can apply it and accomplish great things. You don’t need a degree or any formal education. All you need is to be ambitious and humble. Ambitious meaning to have a burning desire to do great things and humble insofar as doing these great things for the purpose of serving and benefiting others. 

In studying the most successful entities of our generation, author Jim Collins discovered that there was a common denominator among all extraordinary entities. What he discovered is that they all exhibited what he calls Level 5 Leadership.

“Level 5 leaders embody a paradoxical mix of personal humility and professional will. They are ambitious, to be sure, but ambitious first and foremost for the company, not themselves.” – Jim Collins Good to Great

THINK ABOUT IT:

In any area of your life that you’d like to accomplish something extraordinary, be it financial, physical, relational or spiritual it’s going to require more than a desire to do so. An extraordinary life is not only the result of ambition it also requires humility. It requires you to ask the question; how can I do something to benefit others? It will require you to ask, how can I serve?

PRAY:

Heavenly Father, it is an honor and a privilege to work on behalf of your kingdom. I want to live an extraordinary life the same way Jesus did. Help me to serve others with humility, help me to lead others with humility, teach me to be a servant like Jesus was. I have ambitions, desires, you know my heart better than I, help me to desire what you desire, to care about the things that you care about, help me to align my goals and ambitions with yours. I want to live an extraordinary life, I want to leave a legacy of greatness behind, and I pray that humility would be the foundation of all that I do so that others would see Jesus in me. Amen

Pride Limits Your Relationships | Day 10

“A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”  - CS. Lewis, -Mere Christianity 

Love is the universal language that the entire world speaks. Every human being no matter who they are, where they were born, or what they believe needs to love and be loved. Pride is the universal enemy of love. Every human no matter who they are, where they were born or what they believe, to varying degrees has pride within them.  

In the relationship between pride and love, pride is like rust corroding metal, it’s like termites eating through wood and it’s like cancer spreading through the body. Pride is the spiritual cancer that spreads through all of our relationships and creates a wall of separation. Pride is a prison that keeps us locked in and others locked out. Since the beginning of time pride has been the main culprit that has adversely impacted every nation, family and relationship. And sadly, even our relationship with God

BIBLE READING:

In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. –

Psalms 10:4 NIV

Pride causes a person to be full of themselves and leaves no room for anyone else, including God. God says apologize and pride says, “when he, she, or they apologize”. God says serve, pride says, “I’m too busy to serve”. God says give, but pride says, “I want”. The invitation to follow Jesus is an invitation to un-follow pride. An invitation to follow Jesus is an invitation to have the same attitude of humility that Jesus had. Humility says, “I’m sorry” even when I’m only partially wrong. Humility says, “how can I serve?” and humility says, “what can I give?” 

THINK ABOUT IT:

Pride limits your relationships, pride prioritizes you and de-prioritizes everyone else. When you’re full of yourself, full of your highs and lows, there is no room for others, no room for your loved ones, and not even room for God. In contrast humility kills pride and sets you free to express kindness, grace, and love, the elements that fuel and grow your relationships to their maximum potential.

PRAY:

Dear God, please forgive me today. Forgive me for my sins and my shortcomings, and please forgive me if I have put self above you and others. I don’t want to be full of pride; I desire the same attitude that Jesus had, an attitude of humility.  I pray that my thoughts and desires would be towards you and your will. Dear God, I am asking you today, what can I give, how can I serve, how can I be a blessing to others? Help me to focus more on your kingdom, your agenda, and help me to put self to the side in order to make room for others. I want to be a follower of Jesus, I want to prioritize him in my life and I want my relationships to flourish and grow and so I need your help today in order to grow in humility and decrease in my pride. Thank you for helping me today, thank you for your word, thank you for your Holy Spirit and thank you for Jesus Christ, in whose name I pray, amen. 

El Orgullo Limita tus Relaciones | Día 10

El orgullo es un cáncer espiritual que se come la única posibilidad de amor o de contentamiento e incluso de sentido común.

El amor es el lenguaje universal que habla todo el mundo. No importa quiénes son, dónde nacieron o cuales sean sus creencias, toda persona necesita amar y ser amado. El orgullo es el enemigo universal del amor. No importa quiénes son, dónde nacieron o lo que creen en diversos grados, el orgullo está en todos nosotros.

En la relación entre el orgullo y el amor, el orgullo es como el óxido que corroe el metal, es como las termitas que se comen la madera y es como el cáncer que se propaga por el cuerpo. El orgullo es el cáncer espiritual que se propaga a través de todas nuestras relaciones y crea un muro de separación. El orgullo es una prisión que nos mantiene encarcelados. Desde el comienzo de los tiempos, el orgullo ha sido el principal culpable de crear un impacto adverso en cada nación, familia y relación. Y tristemente, incluso en nuestra relación con Dios

LECTURA BIBLICA:

Estos malvados, tan orgullosos y altivos, parecen creer que Dios ha muerto. ¡No se les ocurre siquiera buscarlo! - Salmos 10: 4 NVB.

El orgullo hace que una persona esté llena de sí misma y no deja espacio para nadie más, incluyendo a Dios. Dios dice, pide perdón y el orgullo dice "cuando él, ella o ellos se disculpen". Dios dice, sirve y el orgullo dice "estoy demasiado ocupado para servir". Dios dice, da pero el orgullo dice: "quiero". La invitación a seguir a Jesús es una invitación a dejar de seguir al orgullo. Es una invitación a seguir a Jesús y una invitación a tener la misma actitud de humildad que Jesús tuvo. La humildad dice "perdona", incluso cuando solo estoy parcialmente equivocado. La humildad dice: "¿Cómo puedo servir?" Y también dice: "¿Qué puedo dar?"

PIÉNSALO:

El orgullo limita tus relaciones, el orgullo te prioriza a ti y le quita la prioridad a los demás. Cuando estás lleno de ti mismo, lleno de tus altibajos, no hay espacio para los demás, no hay espacio para tus seres queridos y ni siquiera hay espacio para Dios. En contraste, la humildad mata el orgullo y te libera para expresar amabilidad, gracia y amor, que son los elementos que alimentan y hacen crecer tus relaciones a su máximo potencial.

ORA:

Padre celestial hazme una persona cada vez más humilde, yo he decidido seguir a Jesús y seguirlo es imitarlo, es dejar el camino del orgullo para seguir el tuyo amado Dios que es el de la humildad. Perdóname por haberte ofendido siendo orgulloso y ayúdame a expresar amabilidad, gracia y amor a los demás. Gracias por amarme tanto y mostrarme la importancia de ser humilde.

Pride Reduces You | Day 09

“Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness… are mere fleabites in comparison… Pride leads to every other vice.” -C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Pride keeps you from admitting you’re wrong. It keeps you from admitting you need help. It keeps you from admitting your weaknesses. It causes you to say things to impress people who aren’t even paying attention to you. It causes you to feel good when others fail. Pride causes you to spend money that you don’t have to impress people who don’t care. 

Pride causes you to see yourself as bigger and more powerful than you really are and turns you into a legend but only in your own mind. When the truth is that pride makes you smaller and rather than lifting you up it reduces and tears you down. Pride reduces your ability to listen and enhances your ability to talk. It reduces your ability to compliment but increases your ability to brag. But worst of all pride reduces your ability to give and receive love. 

Bible Reading:

Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. – Proverbs 18:12 NIV

When pride takes control of your life it’s just a matter of time before it brings you down. There’s a better way, it’s the path of humility, and this is the road that leads to honor. But the path of humility will require you to apologize when you’re wrong, it requires that you pre-decide to forgive before forgiveness is even requested. It will require you to speak up when your words will build up and to be quiet when they will tear down others. Humility will require you to consider others before yourself.

THINK ABOUT IT: 

Pride will tear you down but humility will lead to honor. That being said, I’ll leave you with a few questions to think about: 

1. How does pride manifest itself in your life?

2. How would you act differently if you allowed humility to take over? 

PRAY:

Dear God, today I confess that I am proud. There are things in my life that manifest themselves in disguise, but I admit, that it is pride that is fueling my behavior in some areas of my life. I want to live a life of honor. I want to make humility the foundation of all of my actions in every area of my life. I pray that you would lead me down the path of humility, teach me to forgive, to give, to lift up, but more importantly teach me to love because I know per your word, that love covers a multitude of offenses, even my own. Thank you for your word, your wisdom, and for the living example that I have in Jesus Christ. I pray this in his precious name, amen. 

El Orgullo te Reduce | Día 09

"La falta de castidad, la ira, la avaricia, la embriaguez ... son meras picaduras de pulgas en comparación ... El orgullo lleva a todos los demás vicios". C S Lewis. 

El orgullo te impide admitir tu error. Te impide admitir que necesitas ayuda. Te impide admitir tus debilidades. Hace que digas cosas para impresionar a las personas que ni siquiera te están prestando atención. Hace que te sientas bien cuando otros fracasan. El orgullo hace que gastes dinero que no tienes para impresionar a las personas que no les importa.

El orgullo hace que te veas a ti mismo como más grande y poderoso de lo que realmente eres y te convierte en una leyenda, pero solo en tu propia mente. Cuando la verdad es que el orgullo te hace más pequeño y en lugar de elevarte, te reduce. El orgullo reduce tu capacidad de escuchar pero aumenta tu capacidad de hablar. Reduce tu habilidad para elogiar pero aumenta tu habilidad para presumir. Pero lo peor de todo es que el orgullo reduce tu capacidad de dar y de recibir amor.

LECTURA DE LA BIBLIA

Al fracaso lo precede la soberbia humana; a los honores los precede la humildad. Proverbios 18:12 NVI.

Cuando el orgullo toma el control de tu vida, es solo cuestión de tiempo antes de que te reduzca. Hay un mejor camino, el camino de la humildad que conduce al honor. Pero el camino de la humildad va a requerir que pidas perdón cuando te equivoques, y también requiere que decidas perdonar antes de que te pidan perdón a ti. Requiere que hables cuando tus palabras edifiquen y que guardes silencio cuando tengan el potencial de destruir. En fin, el camino de la humildad requerirá que consideres a los demás antes que a ti mismo. 

PIÉNSALO:

El orgullo te destruirá, pero la humildad te llevará al honor. Siendo que esto es una verdad inconmovible, te dejaré con algunas preguntas en las cuales meditar:

1. ¿Cómo se manifiesta el orgullo en tu vida?

2. ¿Cómo actuarías de manera diferente si permitieras que la humildad se hiciera cargo en tu vida?

ORA:

Padre celestial perdóname por todas las veces que soy orgulloso y traigo destrucción a la vida de las personas que amo y a la mía propia; ayúdame a ser una persona humilde, que sea capaz de poner a lo demás por encima de mí. Gracias por mostrarme que es el camino de la humildad el que me lleva al honor.

Your Fullest Potential | Day 08

You are unequivocally special, there’s no one else like you; God himself created you in his image and likeness. Your value is immeasurable, overwhelmingly demonstrated on the cross. Your purpose is eternal, you’re not just occupying space and time, God created you on purpose and for a purpose. But, all of this is meaningless until you fully discover and embrace your uniqueness, immeasurable value, and eternal purpose. 

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. – Proverbs 11:02 NIV

It’s the thing that has the greatest potential to ruin everything in your life, the potential to ruin your health, your finances and your relationships. It’s in you and it’s in me. You’ve been victimized by it, but you’ve also victimized with it. The problem is that it’s easily detected in others but so difficult to see in the mirror. But its biggest impact is that it limits your uniqueness and immeasurable value and causes you to not live out the purpose for which God created you. This thing we’re talking about is pride.

Pride causes you to deprioritize everyone else, even the people you love the most because pride prioritizes you above everyone else. Pride causes you to see God as your servant rather than your creator. Pride inverts your purpose from others to self and suddenly your uniqueness and immeasurable value fall into a state of disgrace. 

But with humility comes wisdom, the wisdom that leads us to the living out of our God ordained purpose to help, love, and serve others. Pride separates and imprisons us whereas humility unites us and sets us free. 

THINK ABOUT IT:

With pride your uniqueness, value, and purpose are canceled out, but with humility comes the wisdom to live your life out to its fullest potential. 

PRAY:

Heavenly Father, thank you for making me unique, for valuing me, and for calling me to serve you. I don’t want to have my purpose cancelled out because of pride; instead I want to fulfill the purpose for which you called me. Please give me the wisdom needed to live a Godly life that values others as much as you value me. And more importantly, remove any pride in my heart and replace it with the same humility Jesus exhibited and demonstrated in his love for others. In his name I pray, amen.

Tu Máximo Potencial | Día 08

Eres inequívocamente especial, no hay nadie más como tú; Dios mismo te creó a su imagen y semejanza. Tu valor es inmedible, deliberadamente demostrado en la cruz. Tu propósito es eterno, no solo estás ocupando un espacio y un tiempo, Dios te creó a propósito y con un propósito. Pero, todo esto no tiene sentido hasta que descubras y abraces completamente tu singularidad, valor inmedible y propósito eterno.

El orgullo lleva a la deshonra, pero con la humildad viene la sabiduría. Proverbios 11:02 NVI.

Lo que quiero comunicar hoy tiene el gran potencial de arruinar todo en tu vida; El potencial de arruinar tu salud, tus finanzas y tus relaciones. Está en ti y está en mí. Has sido victimizado por esto, pero tú también has victimizado a otro con esto. Es fácil de detectar en otros pero muy difícil de verlo en nosotros mismos. Pero su mayor impacto es que limita tu singularidad y valor inmedible y causa que no llegues a vivir el propósito para el cual Dios to creó. De lo que estamos hablando es del orgullo.

El orgullo hace que todos los demás no sean tu prioridad, incluso a las personas que más amas, porque el orgullo te prioriza a ti sobre todos los demás. El orgullo hace que veas a Dios como tu servidor en vez de tu creador. El orgullo invierte tu propósito de enfocarte en los demás a enfocarte en ti mismo y de repente tu singularidad y tu inmedible valor caen en un estado de desgracia.

Pero con la humildad viene la sabiduría, la sabiduría que nos lleva a vivir el propósito ordenado por Dios de ayudar, amar y servir a los demás. El orgullo nos separa y nos aprisiona, mientras que la humildad nos une y nos libera.

PIÉNSALO:

Con orgullo, tu singularidad, valor y propósito se cancelan, pero con humildad viene la sabiduría de vivir tu vida al máximo potencial.

ORA:

Padre celestial te pido que por favor me des sabiduría, esa sabiduría que sólo proviene de ti y quita de mi la tendencia de quererme priorizar a mí misma, cumple tu propósito en mi vida amado Dios, para que yo esté dispuesto en todo momento a ayudar, amar y servir a los demás.

La Sabiduría de la Humildad | Día 07

¿Por qué algunas personas tienen éxito y otras no? ¿Por qué algunos trabajan duro y son recompensados ​​y otros trabajan igual de duro y ganan poco o nada? En los negocios, ¿por qué Apple tiene tanto éxito y otras compañías tecnológicas no? O, ¿por qué el café Starbucks es una empresa tan exitosa y tantas otras fracasan? La respuesta es que hicieron de sus clientes el foco de su negocio, no se convirtieron ellos mismos en el resultado final y el foco de sus negocios. Apple decidió por adelantado que el diseño y funcionamiento de sus computadoras no se basarían en los estándares de la industria, sino más bien en la creación de una computadora que fuera tan simple que personas que no utilizaban computadoras la pudiera utilizar. Starbucks decidió que el crear un lugar en donde las personas pudiesen tomarse un café y socializar o trabajar era la prioridad.

LECTURA BIBLICA:

El orgullo lleva a la deshonra, pero con la humildad viene la sabiduría. Proverbios 11:22 NVI.

Imagínate que vas a comenzar una familia, un negocio a algo que sea de gran importancia para ti, ¿desearías que fuese un fracaso, algo bueno o algo extraordinario? Si, al igual que yo, tu respuesta es, desearía que fuese algo extraordinario. Entonces vas a necesitar más que conocimiento y mucho trabajo, también vas a necesitar sabiduría. El conocimiento y la dedicación son necesarios, pero sin sabiduría lo mejor que puedes esperar es que sea bueno, porque los logros extraordinarios requieren sabiduría. El problema es que la inteligencia no es igual a la sabiduría. La sabiduría es la capacidad de utilizar el conocimiento de manera inteligente. ¿No te has fijado que son los líderes inteligentes los que autorizan las guerras?  Y, ¿no es verdad que se necesita un alto grado de conocimiento para crear armas de destrucción masiva? De nuevo, estas son personas muy inteligentes, pero no tomaron decisiones muy sabias. Tal vez esa es la razón por la cual Jim Collins, autor del best-seller titulado “De bueno a excelente” escribió, “la diferencia entre buenos líderes y grandes lideres es la humildad”.

PIÉNSALO:

Cuando se trata del éxito, tu Padre Celestial no solo quiere que seas o hagas algo bueno, sino que quieres que seas o hagas algo extraordinario. Pero para lograr algo extraordinario necesitarás más que conocimiento y mucho trabajo, vas a necesitar obtener sabiduría. La verdad nada puede nublar la inteligencia de una persona más que la arrogancia, tal vez por eso es que la sabiduría se encuentra en las acciones que provienen de la humildad. Las acciones que consideran a los demás como el enfoque principal de nuestras decisiones. 

ORA

Padre celestial Tú no simplemente quieres que yo haga algo bueno sino extraordinario y para lograrlo voy a necesitar sabiduría, ayúdame a ser una persona sabia que escoge ser humilde y se aparta de la arrogancia. Gracias por amarme tanto y mostrarme que si considero a los demás como el enfoque principal de mis decisiones entonces voy a llegar a ser un gran líder en cumplir mi propósito de acercar a otros a Ti.

The Wisdom of Humility | Day 07

Why are some people successful and others not? Why do some work hard and get rewarded and others work just as hard and gain little or nothing? In business, why is Apple so successful and other technology companies aren’t? Or, why is Starbucks coffee such a successful company and so many others fail? The answer is that they made their clients the focus of their business, they did not make themselves or the bottom line the focus of their business. Apple pre-decided that the design and operation of their computers would not be based on the industry standards but rather on creating a computer that was simple and easy for anyone to use. Starbucks prioritized creating an environment in which people can gather and or get some work done as more important than the product itself.

BIBLE READING: 

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. – Proverbs 11:22 NIV

Imagine for a moment that you are going start a business, family or any endeavor of importance to you, would you want it to be a failed, good, or a great venture? If like me your answer is, I want it to be great. Then you’ll need more than knowledge and hard work, you’ll also need to have wisdom. Knowledge and commitment are necessary but without wisdom the best you can hope for is a good venture because great ventures require wisdom. The problem is that intelligence does not equal wisdom because wisdom is the ability to utilize knowledge intelligently. It’s the intelligent leaders that authorize war and it takes a large degree of knowledge to create weapons of mass destruction. Again, very intelligent people but not very wise decisions. Maybe that’s the reason why Jim Collins author of the best-selling book titled “From Good to Great” wrote, “the difference between good leaders and great ones is humility”. 

THINK ABOUT IT: 

When it comes to success your Heavenly Father doesn’t only want you to be or do good he wants you to be or do great. But to achieve great success you’re going to need more than knowledge and a commitment to hard work, you’re going to need wisdom. And nothing can cloud a persons’ intelligence more than arrogance, maybe that is why wisdom is found in the actions that come from humility, the actions that consider others above self.    

PRAY

Dear God, I need wisdom. You have bestowed upon me a degree of intelligence, but I need your wisdom to use it the right way. I need your wisdom and I need you to put in me a new heart, one that is not arrogant; I need a heart that is humble. I present to you the work of my hands, my plans, my endeavors, and my calling, I pray that you would bless it all but above all else, that in me you would find a humble heart. Cause me to be the kind of leader that can influence others and lead them to Jesus and a personal relationship with him. Thank you Heavenly Father for hearing my prayer, in Jesus’ name I pray, amen. 

El Valor de la Humildad | Día 06

Algunas personas son ricas pero no tienen honor. Otros son honorables pero tienen poca o ninguna riqueza. Mientras que otros tienen honor y riquezas, pero no se sienten vivos. Personas diferentes con perspectivas diferentes viviendo sus vidas, algunas trabajando arduamente para crear riqueza. Otros sacrificándose para vivir vidas honorables. Pero a pesar de sus diferencias, el común denominador es la sensación de que tiene que haber algo más en la vida. Qué triste, trabajar tan duro y llegar al final del camino preguntándose, ¿realmente valió la pena tanto trabajo y sacrificios? Al final, ¿mi vida realmente significará algo?

La humildad es el temor del Señor; su salario es riqueza, honor y vida. Proverbios 22: 4 NIV.

No importa cuán rica pueda volverse una persona, no importa cuántos honores pueda recibir y no importa cuánto pueda experimentar en esta vida, sin humildad la vida es un callejón sin salida. Ahora bien, la humildad no es tenerle miedo a Dios, es temer a Dios, es vivir cada momento de nuestras vidas reconociendo que Dios nos creó a propósito y para su propósito. El vivir la vida para cualquier otro propósito sería arrogancia. Imagina que el lienzo le diga al pintor qué pintar o que el avión le indique al piloto a dónde volar. Si nos detenemos un momento y analizamos nuestras vidas, descubriremos que muchas veces nosotros los creados queremos decirle al Creador qué hacer. Solo hay que escuchar nuestras peticiones de oración, en gran parte son nuestra forma religiosa de ordenarle a Dios que haga lo que nosotros queremos que haga. Lamentablemente, eso es arrogancia. Ahora bien, Jesús enseñó que podemos pedirle cualquier cosa a Dios, ya sea grande o pequeña, pero a menudo nos volvemos arrogantes y olvidamos el contexto apropiado. El contexto apropiado de cada una de nuestras peticione es comenzar diciendo: "Hágase tu voluntad". Puedes pedirle cualquier cosa a Dios, y si vas a pedir, pide en grande, porque nada es demasiado grande para nuestro Dios. Te dejo con un secreto, si vienes humildemente ante Dios buscando cumplir Sus propósitos, Él automáticamente te bendecirá con riquezas, honor y vida. Y te apuesto a que te dará mucho más de lo que pensabas pedir.

PIÉNSALO:

Cuando no estamos en la búsqueda de nuestro propósito ordenado por Dios, nos rendimos o vivimos sin valor y, en el mejor de los casos, podemos terminar cumpliendo un propósito secundario que nunca nos conducirá a la verdadera riqueza, honor y vida. Pero cuando vivimos nuestras vidas humildemente, el resultado es que la paga de Dios son las verdaderas riquezas, honor y una vida eterna y abundante. Ese es el valor de la humildad.

ORA:

Padre celestial quiero vivir a través del propósito por el cual me creaste, ayúdame a vivir de manera humilde para que realmente puedas conducirme a la verdadera riqueza, honor y vida; hágase tu voluntad y no la mía amado Dios.

The Value of Humility | Day 06

Some people are rich, but don’t have honor.  Others have honor, yet little wealth. Some have honor and riches, yet sense something missing. Some are working hard to build wealth, and others are sacrificing to live honorable lives. Different people approaching life from different perspectives. Yet, despite their differences, a common denominator exists —  a sobering sense there has to be something more to life.

How sad to work so hard and sacrifice so much to reach a goal, then wonder if all the striving was worth it. At the end of it all, will my life really mean something?

No matter how much wealth we accumulate, no matter how many honors we receive, and no matter how much of life we experience, without humility life takes us down a dead-end road. 

Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life. – Proverbs 22:4 NIV

One of Proverbs most prominent themes is humility. To understand humility, we need to see its connection with the fear of the Lord. 

As we humble ourselves before God, we stand in awe of him recognizing He created us on purpose and for his purpose. Living for any other purpose would be arrogance. 

Imagine the canvas telling the painter what to paint. Often, we the created want to tell the Creator what to do. To gauge this, take a moment to think over your prayer petitions. Are they a religious way of commanding God to do what we want him too? If so, that is arrogance. 

Christ teaches us to ask God for anything whether big or small. Too often, in arrogance, we make prayers all about what we want to see Him accomplish for us.  

God invites you not to worry about anything, but to pray about everything (Philippians 4:6). So, when you ask of God you might as well ask big. I mean really big because nothing is impossible for God. Nevertheless, make sure to always tell Him “Your will be done.”

Let me lead you in a powerful prayer secret. As you humble yourself before God, seeking to fulfill his purposes, He will automatically bless you with riches, honor and life. 

THINK ABOUT IT:

When we pursue anything other than our God-ordained purpose, we render our lives worthless. At best, we may end up fulfilling a secondary purpose. However, as we live humble lives, God’s wages are true riches, honor, and abundant life. That’s the high value of humility. 

PRAY:

Dear God, I come before you, humbly and thankful to You for your saving grace on my life. Thank you for loving me in such an extravagant way. I want to honor You by fulfilling Your purpose for my life and making it my primary goal in life. 

I know there is nothing too big for you. So, today I present to you my needs. [Present your pressing needs no matter how small or big]

Yet, Lord, I pray for Your will to be done in my life. I want to fulfill Your purpose in me so You may receive all the glory. And as you bless me with riches, honor, and life, I will give them back to You to use for your glory and honor. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. 

The Power of Humility | Day 05

I’m sure that if you’ve ever tried to get ahead in life you’ve already discovered that it’s not that easy. There’s always someone or something opposing you. It kind of reminds me of sumo wrestling. I’m no fan of wrestling but I must admit that sumo wrestling intrigues me. To see a couple of three hundred plus pound men, dressed in what looks like diapers, opposing each other is quite the scene. Now imagine that you had one of these sumo wrestlers as your opponent. At times that’s the way it feels when we’re trying to get ahead.

“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:5-6 NIV 

Many times, the reason we don’t get ahead is because we have God as our opponent, a concept that is rarely communicated today. Now imagine God forcefully pushing against you. The truth is that you’d have a better chance of beating a sumo wrestler than you’d ever have of moving God out of the way. Now why would God want to stop you from getting ahead? Simple, God opposes the proud. The problem is that we don’t think that we’re proud. But in God’s definition of proud, we’re all quite proud, actually at times arrogantly proud. 

If you want to know if you’re proud, just look at your prayer petitions. More than likely the vast majority of your prayers are about you. To which some will say, I also pray for my spouse, my children and my church without ever noticing that the first word that presents their petitions is, “my”. In other words, even when you’re praying for others it’s mostly about you. Now there’s absolutely nothing wrong with asking God to personally bless you. The problem is not the petition the problem is the attitude.  

Let’s talk about humility, humility begins when you show at least the same amount of concern for others as you have for yourself. It’s when you pray for God to bless others as much as you want Him to bless you. Humility matures when you pray for God to bless every area of your life as a way to use those blessings to bless the lives of others. When we pray with a humble attitude God not only answers our petitions, he shows us favor. And, having God’s favor means that he will give you more than what you think of or ask for. Actually, he will give you what you could never earn or deserve. 

Think About It:

If you really want to get ahead in life and if you really want God to answer your petitions, then humble yourself before God. Which simply put means to put God’s agenda in front of your own agenda. God’s agenda is that you would value others at least as much as you value yourself. If you choose to do so, in due time God will lift you up. That’s the power of humility. 

PRAY

Dear God:

You first! What is it that you would have me do? I pray for blessings, yes in every area of my life. But more importantly, I want you to bless me so that I can bless others. I know that your word teaches me to seek your kingdom first and all things, those I need and don’t even know that I need, will be added. So today I pray that you teach me to value your kingdom agenda more than I value my own personal plans. I trust that as I carry out your will, you will take care of the rest. Who is it that you need me to bless, to help, to comfort, to minister to? I don’t deny that I wish to be successful in life, but being successful in my calling is paramount. Teach me humility, teach me to love the way you love, and help me to care the way you care. Thank you Lord for your goodness, your mercy and your grace. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.