Humble

" Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." 

-James 4:10

Anyone who's read even a few portions of the bible is likely to find out that God hates pride. I know this, and often think to myself that I'm "okay" in this department, because I don't really make a point of going around bragging loudly about how good I am at this or that. However, I'm beginning to realize that pride is so much more than the obvious braggart.

Beyond the absence of boasting, God truly wants and loves a humble heart. A heart that is gentle and quiet. A heart that is aware of its flaws and approaches God with reverence and thankfulness--not out of shame, but rather out of true humility. Humbleness is about realizing our true place in relation to another. We know we are small and undeserving, and as such are thankful for the elevation we receive through Christ.

I've come to realize that I struggle a lot more with pride than I ever thought I did. In "Jeff Foxworthy" fashion, let me share a few of my realizations.

You might just be prideful if...

-You don't think you really "struggle" with any sins (the absence of sin in your life might just be an illusion due to those pride-coloured lenses you have on!)
-You find yourself looking down on (or feeling better than) others who you deem "bad", "annoying", or "gross"
-Your prayers to your Heavenly Father would sound like an argument or a list of demands to someone eavesdropping
-You get angry easily
-You love "proving your point" or winning arguments with others
-You feel entitled or that you "deserve" certain things from God (even things you think are simple like good health, good relationships, etc)

God is our King and our Divine Parent. He deserves the prostrate reverence of Royalty, but he also  loves is dearly, like a parent. God does not want us sniveling on the ground in shame--he doesn't desire to subjugate us--however, he also does not want us approaching him or others with a prideful, entitled attitude. When we humble ourselves before God, he will lift us up... but we can be sure the opposite is true too---if we puff up in front of God, we shouldn't be surprised if he knocks us down a few pegs on the ego-meter.

God wants the best for us--we have to believe that. This assurance should keep us faithful and trusting through the good times and the bad. We should also remember just how much God has already done for us: he has saved us from the eternal punishment we deserve and adopted us as his very own sons and daughters. He has allowed us to be called his own children and permitted us the honor of approaching him whenever we please and speaking directly to him without mediation. When the realization of all this sinks in, we should have no problem being humbled before our Savior.

Many worship songs speak of God's grace being "enough"... we sing on Sunday that, even if all else failed and the world crumbled around us,  we would have more than we needed or deserved in the grace God has already offered us. Do we really believe it though?

I know I struggle so much with this. If I were to be completely honest with myself, I'd have to say that I don't believe this most of the time. Despite the immense, immeasurable gifts God has already offered me, I find myself demanding more. I "deserve" to conceive a child. I "deserve" to have good health. My friends and other decent folk "deserve" to have lives free of pain and suffering.

The truth is, God is huge, amazing, powerful, and loving. He has already given me the greatest gift in the Universe... but it is so easy to forget that. It is so easy to slip out of humility and back into prideful entitlement. But it is so easy to understand God's desire for a humble heart! If I had a friend with insurmountable debt and I stepped in to pay that debt off for him--no strings attached--I would expect a certain measure of humility from him. I would expect him to have the decency to be utterly thankful for what I did--not just shrug it off and complain that I didn't do something else for him too!

As much as we celebrate God's love and kindness and all the "warm fuzzy stuff" our faith has to offer, I think it is extremely important that we never forget Who we're actually dealing with here and just how much He has done for us. Let's maintain humble hearts of gratitude and repentance before the Creator of the Universe, rather than develop prideful hearts that tantrum when we don't get what we expect we deserve. After all, none of us would want to get what we truly deserved.

Your Grace is Enough

Chris Tomlin

Great is Your faithfulness oh God

You wrestle with the sinner's heart

You lead us by still waters and to mercy

And nothing can keep us apart

Your grace is enough

Your grace is enough

Your grace is enough for me 

Great is Your love and justice God

You use the weak to lead the strong

You lead us in the song of Your salvation

And all Your people sing along

Your grace is enough

Your grace is enough

Your grace is enough for me  

Peace be with You

Peace be with you. Growing up in the Catholic school system, this phrase was spoken often as a ritual during each mass and celebration the school had. The priest would say “Peace be with you” and we would respond, “And also with you”. In addition to this, every mass, people would be prompted to greet each other, much like we do, however instead of a “Good morning!” everyone offered a greeting of “Peace”.

As strange as it sometimes seemed to be using peace as a greeting, I've always thought peace was such a pleasant word. It’s a word that people like to say, pursue, and adorn their walls with. We like to have peace, but how often do we give peace?

I think peace sounds deceptively simple. It sounds so passive. It seems like peace is merely the absence of action—when people shut their mouths and unclench their fists, we have peace, right?

As I searched the Bible for references to peace, I thought it was interesting how often, in the New Testament, peace was paired with ACTION words like grace, mercy, and love. It seems to me that peace was meant to be much more than a pleasant state of being that we should be seeking for ourselves. Peace is something to be shared. But beyond that, peace, as it turns out, is anything but passive! Peace requires relationship. Without relationship, peace doesn't exist… only silence exists, and anyone who’s ever been on the receiving end of the silent treatment knows—there’s a big difference between silence and peace.

So how do we make the leap from passive silence to active peace? The answer lies in those action words we often see peace paired up with—love and forgiveness. The bible says, “blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” God loves it when his children are actively pursuing peace with others. He doesn't want us to pretend to “play nice” with others, he wants us to pursue authentic relationships where peace is a result of love and forgiveness.

I don’t know about you guys, but sometimes I try to skate by on merely “playing nice” with others. People annoy me and upset me. I get mad. I get frustrated. I've sometimes fooled myself into thinking that I’m doing pretty good because I manage to keep a lid on the bitterness boiling below the surface. However, I've come to realize that God doesn't prize silence. God treasures peace. I need to love people who annoy me and I need to forgive those who upset me. It is only then that I am demonstrating the traits of a child of God.

Today, I would like to say “Peace be with you” … not as a well-wish or as a greeting, but rather as a challenge. We need to challenge ourselves to live each day in peace with others—actively loving those around us, and forgiving them along the way. Are there people in our lives we are engaged in battle with? Are there people in our lives we are merely “playing nice” with? Who do we need to forgive? Who needs our love? Whether they deserve it or not, God is asking us to give peace so that we can have it.