#wtsdevo humility

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Worthy of our Praise (#wtsdevo humility)

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.” -  Matthew 5:16

Holy Spirit, where is my light shining? Who is it pointing other people to?

           As we finish up talking about humility, this is what I’m asking myself and the honest answer isn’t always pretty. Sometimes, I do good things because I’m motivated by that craving to have other people’s acknowledgment or approval. In the past, this has been easy for me to justify – wanting people to like you and think that you’re a good person seems innocent enough, right? But with that mindset, my heart cry betrays a desperate need for reassurance that I am enough. The truth is, I’m not.

           But God is and this truth is reorienting my heart and changing both where my light is shining and Who it is illuminating. This light we’ve been given by the Holy Spirit allows us to abandon the craving for approval and self-reliance and firmly plant our hope and trust in Jesus. With this kind of abandonment, we can go through life doing good deeds and loving on others, not to puff ourselves up, but to make God look great.

           The need is no longer to gain people’s attention; instead, our desire is for our lives and actions to point to Jesus and glorify God. I think that this is the heart of humility: casting off our egos and insecurities, pursuing God with all our strength and believing – wholeheartedly – that we don’t need to be enough because He is. Then our light points right where it’s meant to. Then people will see our good deeds, but instead of acknowledging us, their praise will be given to the only One Who is worthy of it.

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Devotional Series: Humility (#wtsdevo humility)

By: Alexandria // Personal // Walk the Same

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When Humility is Everything (#wtsdevo humility)

Humbleness isn't just a trait. It is a defining aspect that has the ability to set you apart from within a crowd. And rightly so too. It is something that is so hard to find and naturally it shines when it is around just like a rare and precious gem. This was true from the time of Christ. Despite His beginnings from the smallest of the smallest in society, He stood out from the rest because of His many qualities, one of which was His immense humbleness. With power, fame, wealth and position, it is easy to get carried away and forget about everything else but our own selves, our own well-being and the pursuit of more power, fame, wealth and position for our own benefit. In short - we make everything about ourselves and our own and we choose to block everything else around us out. 

However this can only last for so long before everything in our life starts to break. By being this way, we unintentionally isolate ourselves and we make the tangible and the earthly - our idols whom we worship. What we fail to realize is that unlike God and His community, none of these are alive and eternal. Chances are that they would rot or fade away into nothingness with time. The fact is that, we weren't created to fuel ourselves with things that die out but instead, we become alive when we plug ourselves into a source that literally gives us life. And that one source is God Himself and His people. His community.

When we choose to humble ourselves, we ensure that we don't make anything about us. Instead we live a life realizing that there is someone way bigger and immense than we are (put together) and that caring and being mindful about others around us is a crucial part of this life that we live. This leads us into a place where we choose to serve God and others before ourselves. This does not make us any less but instead is makes us everything - someone that even exceeds beyond our own understanding and imagination. We become the light in a dark world and it doesn't take long before that goes un-noticed.

Nothing of this earth can get us everything. But being humble is the start of everything. 

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Devotional Series: Humility (#wtsdevo humility) By: Jude \ Personal // Walk the Same

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Fake Humility (#wtsdevo humility)

“The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.'” -Luke 18:11-12

I'm guessing that without the entire context of this parable it would seem as if the Pharisee is doing pretty well for himself in God's eyes. His deeds are comparably less damning—by his standards not damning at all. He fasts. He tithes. The Heavenly Father has got to be pleased with those stats.

You couldn't be more wrong. Because God operates by totally different standards. He isn't concerned with how more or less perfectly one person differs from the other. He isn't interested in how we compare or who has the greater sin. He isn't worried about how self-aware we are either.

Our hope is that we become more and more Christ-aware—the awareness of our own deficiency and our desperate need of Jesus’ saving grace. Day by day. Hour to hour. Minute by minute. It's our becoming less so He can become more (John 3:30).

I look at this Pharisee with such disdain but even though I may not pray this way, I still think this way at times. I look at my sin and place it on a scale from white lies to murder. Pridefully, I assume I'm in better standing. But then I open up the scriptures to find out where I really stand. It says that none are righteous (Romans 3:10). Don't think too highly of yourselves (Romans 12:3). Pride leads to destruction (Proverbs 16:18).

Father, give us eyes to see ourselves truly, as You see us.

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Devotional Series: Humilty (#wtsdevo humility)

By: Julian // Personal // Walk the Same

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Whoa is Me (#wtsdevo humilty)

Humility is a loaded topic for me. It’s something I personally have struggled with for the entire extent of my life. Whether it be through sports, relationships, school or anything in between, I have always wrestled with a large, selfish ego. So where can this be fixed? How can I get out of this trap that is rooted in my fallen human flesh and the lies of the Enemy?

One of the most popular verses amongst believers would without a doubt be Philippians 2:3 which says: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” The root of our lack of humility comes from our innate selfish desire. We cannot conquer this selfish desire on our own. The one and only way it can be beaten and overcome by humility is through the realization that it’s not about us. It never has been, it never will be. We get so caught up always looking around us and at everyone else or at ourselves that we forget the one direction we should be looking: up. Our eyes should never be fixed on earthly things, but on God and God alone. (Heb. 12:2)

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Devotional Series: Humility (#wtsdevo humility)

Posted by: Conner Folger \ Personal // Walk the Same

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What do you hear? (#wtsdevo humility)

For today’s devotional, I thought I would do something a little different. God has been putting on my heart lately the importance of His Word and meditating on it to transform and renew our minds, hearts, and lives. Here I am going to list five verses on humility. Take these verses and think about them, really think about them, and journal on each verse. Ask God what He wants you to learn or gain perspective on with these verses, and write down what you hear.

Colossians 3:12: “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience;”

1 Peter 5:5: “Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Psalm 25:9: “He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way.”

Proverbs 22:4: “The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, honor, and life.”

James 4:10: “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”

I find that this exercise is very beneficial, and I have seen fruit from it in my life, so I pray that it will produce fruit in your life as well. Be blessed!

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Devotional Series: Humility (#wtsdevo humility)

By: Kiana // Personal // Walk the Same

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Wilderness School (#wtsdevo humility)

“And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.” -Deuteronomy 8:2

It seems like everywhere you turn there's a new article on Christian suffering. I don't think that's a coincidence. Not at all. Because we're all either in that season right now or in between them. And what we have to fuel our faith is the memory of the Lord's past deliverances.

Going through the wilderness is something we can't avoid. Not even Jesus could—both literally and figuratively. But here we see the children of Israel who spent 40 years there. Although they murmured and completely missed God's hand of care at times, they never want without.

When life is good and the sailing is smooth it's easy to be happy in God. It's easier to worship Him. It's easier to be thankful. Even His commandments are easier to obey. But the true test comes when we're in undesirable, difficult times. Will our response be the same? Mainly, what will the condition of our heart be?

That's all God is after. He helps us to be humbled by showing us the futility in what we possess and what we can do for ourselves. We could be stripped of everything in an instant and God and His promises will be all we have to stand on. That's our food and drink through the drought.

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Devotional Series: Humility (#wtsdevo humility)

By: Julian // Personal // Walk the Same

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Humility Re-Defined (#wtsdevo humility)

To be humble is to not position oneself above others. It is to value others as we value ourselves. We can only value ourselves when we know our identity in Jesus, and can only value others when we know our own value. Mark 12:31 tells us, “'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." We are not expected to only love our neighbor, but love them as we love ourselves, so we have to learn to love ourselves first, by understanding that we are loved by God, and then love our neighbor like we love ourselves because of the love God has for us. Being humble doesn’t mean thinking lowly of ourselves. Not in the Kingdom. Many definitions of humility include: “having low importance or rank.” But how can we have low importance and rank when we are loved and valued by God, the Creator of all existence? When we are called heirs of God, co-heirs with Jesus? We should stay in that identity of being sons and daughters of the King, but still be able to humble ourselves to serve others because we know their value because they are also, in their true identity, children of God. With humility we won’t see ourselves as saints and others as sinners, but see them as saints also because that is their true identity in Jesus, just like us. 

We were once sinners, but through Jesus we are made saints. Others, in their true God-given identity and nature, are made saints also, some just haven’t realized it yet or accepted Jesus to receive their adoption into this wonderful family. By humbling ourselves, knowing that we all came from that place of first being sinners and orphans too, we can serve them and help call out their true identity as children of God, not seeing ourselves above them for being made clean and new through Jesus, but meeting them where they are at because we see their value equal to ours even in their sin. By treating others according to their real identity, it draws them closer to the Father because they begin to see their value through us serving them in love and with humility, which represents the nature of God. 

Through humble service we can call our brothers and sisters out of the bondage of this world, and bring them into freedom and truth about who they truly are, but we have to realize that we are valued as well, no more, no less than others—but we are all loved and cherished by God, and by serving one another we can stay humble and true to who we are in Him.

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Devotional Series: Humility (#wtsdevo humility)

By: Kiana // Personal // Walk the Same

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Isaiah’s Commission (#wtsdevo humility)

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Until we see the unparalleled glory of the King and are wrecked by the mercy He shows us by still allowing us in His presence, we will forever be caught in the day to day routine of an earthly life. But, when our eyes are opened, we realize our purpose, our calling: to go forth for His renown.

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Devotional Series: Humility (#wtsdevo humility)

Posted by: Conner Folger \ Personal // Walk the Same