It’s So Hard To Be Humble

Linda is away at a conference so here is one of her previous blog posts that has proven to be popular.

There are some people who go beyond being humble and just think of themselves as dirt.  On the otherhand I’m sure we can all think of people who are quite the opposite of humble.

Matthew 18.1-14

Reference:  v.4  “Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (NIV Bible)

Explore:  It is hard to find the correct balance to be humble.   There are some people who go beyond being humble and just think of themselves as dirt.  They constantly put other people first but to the detriment of their own well being.  They think of themselves as nothing and lower than all others and people don’t feel grateful for their humility but guilty that someone would think so lowly of themselves.
On the otherhand I’m sure we can all think of people who are quite the opposite of humble.  They are so confident in their own abilities that they think of themselves as God’s gift to the earth.  They look down on others, they name-drop to promote their own self worth and they are willing to make someone else look bad if it will raise their profile a little more.

Application:  God made each person in his image, therefore we are much more than dirt.  He loves us and cares for us and so we must respect ourselves as part of our worship to Him.  But just as we must respect ourselves, we must remember that God didn’t just knit us together but every single human is a child of God.  Therefore we must treat others as we treat ourselves.  If we viewed each person as a child of God then the world would certainly be a more pleasant place.  We don’t need to ridicule ourselves to raise up others and neither should we see ourselves as superior to others.  If we treat all as equals then we create a piece of Heaven right here on earth.

Prayer:  Lord, so often I can feel like nothing when I stand before someone who shows greatness.  And then there are times when I push my own value forward and feel superior.  May I remember today that I am a child of God, and that everyone I meet are children of God too.  Amen.

Matthew