Good morning saints,
Many years ago I remembered I read one of the many classic teachings of Dr Derek Prince, teaching and instructing us how to live humbly before God.
Brother Derek Prince said that we should not ask God to humble us! He added and said when we ask God to humble us, God can humiliate us.
He said the way to live humbly before God is to live between two parameters, (limit or boundary)
1) Always acknowledge that our God is Almighty and Majestic!
Thus we humans are created by Him! God is Great and He alone is God
Psalm 86:10, “For You are great, and do wondrous things;
You alone are God.”
2) Whatever we have worked, achieved or accomplished, we need to know that we have done it by the grace of God.
1 Corinthians 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am (apostle Paul said) and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
Thus to live humbly before God, we need to realise and be aware that our living should be between the above guidelines or parameters.
The Bible does continue to exhort us to live in humility before God and people. Through this humble behaviour before God, we experience many benefits and blessings that are often graciously being released by God to His people.
1) Humility – Nature of God. God revives the humble and contrite!
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( deep regret or guilt for a wrong committed) ones.”
In the New living Translation (NLT), “The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble.
I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.”
2) God gives grace to the humble
“But He (God) gives more grace. Therefore He says:
“God resists the proud, But gives more grace to the humble.”
James 4:6, “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
3) Pride of Lucifer – Nature of Devil
Isaiah 14:12, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!
13, “For you have said in your heart: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;
14, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’
3) God Hates Pride
Proverbs 8:13, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.”
4) How to Operate successfully in Management and Relationship
I) Proverbs 22:4, “By humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches and honor and life.
II) In Management of Finance
1 Timothy 6:17,
“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
18, “Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,
19, “storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
Finally, let us look at the mind (thinking and attitude) of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6, “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7, “but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8, “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
9, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11, “and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
In conclusion,
Jesus said in Matthew 23:11 and Luke 22:26, Jesus defined who is the greatest of all, the leader of all, is the one who is willing to be the least of all and servant of all.
Secondly, Jesus’ concept of leadership is not just about prominence, position and striving for places of power!
BUT Jesus concept of greatness of Service is HUMILITY
Pray that God will continually remind us by His Holy Spirit to live humbly, in carrying out the Lord’s duty and responsibility, in carrying out the Lord’s endeavour, the Lord’s ministry, the Lord’s service.
Most importantly of all, is that Lord Jesus’s insignia and seal will be evident in all the above. To God be all the Glory and He gets all the Glory always