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Devotional
Bringin’ Humble Back: Matthew 18:4 – “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
As you read through the New Testament, you will begin to realize just how important humility is for us as Christians. Serving others in love (Galatians 5:13), loving your neighbor as yourself (Galatians 5:14), submitting to & sacrificially loving your spouse (Ephesians 5:22-33), following God and being obedient (John 14:15), submitting to God’s authority (Romans 8:6-10). I dare say that these things cannot be accomplished without a humble heart.
In the beginning of Matthew 18, Jesus teaches His disciples about humility because they ask Him which one of them will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Seriously guys?!?! They are traveling around with the Messiah (the Savior of the whole world!) and at this moment with Him, they are more concerned about who will be the Big Dog when they get to heaven.
In response to their question, our Lord set a little child before them, solemnly assuring them that unless they were like little children, they could not enter His kingdom. Children, when very young, do not desire authority, do not regard outward distinctions, are free from malice, are teachable, and willingly dependent on their parents. These are characteristics of children, and Jesus is telling us that we too need to have these characteristics when following Him. Are you teachable or are you set in your ways? Are you willing to follow God, or do you have a white-knuckled death grip on your own selfish ambitions? Are you willing to love and serve others, or are you waiting for others to bow at YOUR feet?
Being humble goes against everything this world is telling us about having the best and most expensive stuff, looking better than everyone around us, and believing in that “it’s all about me” attitude. Remember that we are to follow Jesus. And His example showed us in Matthew 20:26-28, “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
There are many more passages about humility in the Bible. I encourage you to read them during your personal time with God, asking Him to renew your mind and create in you a humble, loving, and serving heart. You can start with these: John 13:1-17; Matthew 23:11-12; Ephesians 4:1-3; Philippians 2:5-11.
** I encourage you to use these passages from God’s Word as a resource in your daily life. Don’t let this truth just rest on this tag or on this shirt. Use it! Let it become a part of you, let the scripture be written on your heart and move you to live your life in obedience to God out of love. Dive into God’s Word, spend time with Him in prayer, connect with other believers, live for Jesus who died for your sins and rose again! **
FYI – We have a Bible Study on Facebook.com and invite you to join. New scripture is posted daily. If you don’t have a Facebook Account, then you will need to create one to join the Bible Study. So, if you’re interested, sign into your Facebook Account and search “Facebook Bible Study – yes you can join!”
