Humility and Power

Dear Reader,

Do you sometimes feel hesitant about praying for humility? I've heard many people say that they hesitate because they know God will give it to them - and that the process may be painful. Why is humility considered a negative thing? Wasn't Jesus himself the epitome of humility? Why would we hesitate to ask God for something that pleases Him?

Are we nervous about humility because we don't know what it looks like? I remember praying in the past for God to show me one real live, present-day example of humility. I wanted to see what it looked like in today's society. I wanted to see someone who was modest, virtuous and lowly. I thought if I saw a example and I liked it, then maybe I wouldn't be so hesitant to seek this character trait.

In American society today, individualism is revered sometimes more than God Himself. We often teach our children to cherish individual authority over the virtue of humility. Humility, in its true sense, is counter-cultural and is often looked down upon as "weakness." Jesus was, by no means, weak. He had within Him the power of the Holy Spirit - the same power that raised Him from the dead. So, as with Jesus, it must be possible to be humble and powerful at the same time!

A characteristic like humility is found repeatedly in the Bible. Jesus preached about it in his famous Sermon on the Mount series. Paul spoke highly of it as he described Jesus in Philippians 2. God requires humility in our relationship to Hm and to others around us; we need to plead for more of it!

I challenge you to be counter-cultural. Pray for the humility that comes only from God. He will provide this through the power of the Holy Spirit. Dare to be a shining example of humility in all you relationships, so that the world will see Christ in you.

~Sara