Have you ever paused to consider all the different ways pride hinders our obedience? For example, asking forgiveness. One of the reasons we don't approach a sister in Christ to ask forgiveness is because it requires humility on our part. Why do wives struggle so with submission? It requires humility. Why do we see people unwilling to put themselves under the authority of their church? It requires humility. Why do kids not want to obey their parents? It requires humility. Humility is not a bad thing; in fact, according to Scripture it is a good thing.
I remember when my children were little and I talked about humility. Their response was, "I don't want to be humiliated." I was quick to tell them that humility was different from humiliation. Even as I said those words, the thought rose in my mind, both words have the same root.
I looked up the two words, humble and humiliate in the Merriam-Webster On-line dictionary. Indeed they have the same Latin root word humilis which means low. Humble is an adjective- a
descriptive word. Humiliate is a transitive verb - and action word. Humble is something we are. Humiliate is something done to us (either by someone else or ourselves).
Beth Moore makes the following astute statement in her book, Praying God's Word "If we don't presently have an issue that is actively humbling us, we veer with disturbing velocity toward arrogance and self-righteousness. We are wise to remember that Christ never resisted the repentant sinner. He resisted the religious proud and Pharisaic." (pg. 58)
God delights in a humble heart. Isaiah 57:15, "For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones."
Your challenge for today is to ask yourself in what area do you struggle most with humility? Ask God to show you how to practice humility today.
Diane
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