I pray you are having a great week walking with the Lord.  Samantha and I just got back from “Evening with the Arts” at the high school.  There are a lot great artists in our schools and it was great to see many of the kids and teens in our church display their art.  I also enjoyed seeing a lot of you there and meeting new people in our community. 

 

I really enjoyed our worship service this past Sunday (and every Sunday).  I really appreciate the Christ centered time of worship.  I pray each of us were able to get a better understanding of humility.  Remember, true humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness.  This is the twin reality that all genuine humility is rooted in: God is holy and we are sinful.  Without an honest awareness of these truths, humility is not possible. 

 

This Sunday we will be continuing with our series “The Journey” as we start Acts 4.  We will look obstacles and overcoming them.  I know I encounter obstacles all the time on this journey of faith and want to know what to do to overcome them.  We will see with the power of God and as we walk in humility we are can and will overcome.  Remember, the Bible tells us that we can “do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Take some time this week to look over Acts 4 and prepare yourself for an awesome time of worshiping together this Sunday.

 

Have a great week and I’ll see you Sunday.

 

Chad

 

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“Humility – The Right Attitude” – by Dr. Charles Stanley

1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV)

⁶Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

How would you respond if someone accused you of something you didn’t do? What if you were fired from your job or shunned by your church for actions you never committed? Or perhaps simply misjudged by your peers? What attitude should Christians take when confronted with situations like these?

The apostle Paul knew a lot about being misunderstood. He writes, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:5-8).

Jesus chose to become a suffering servant so that we could have eternal life. This was God’s plan for Him. However, Peter could not understand the Messiah’s selfless behavior, so he fought against it. He protested, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happened to You!” (Matthew 16:22). The fisherman’s pride stood in the way of his understanding and led him to a very different response than Christ desired.

“Get behind Me, Satan!” was Jesus’ immediate response—one that struck at the core of Peter’s problem. God’s truth always hits the mark. Peter’s pride and desire to see Jesus become a reigning earthly king had surfaced, and the Lord knew He had to address the issue head-on. “You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s” (v. 23).

Do you have the right attitude when it comes to following Christ? Peter had to lay down his personal desires and selfishness. Paul had to surrender his way and forego his claim to a respectable position in society. Humility in the life of the believer is the mark of greatness—not because you shine when you are humbled, but because when you submit to God’s will, He shines through you.

Perhaps you are faced with a difficult situation but don’t understand why God has chosen that avenue for you. Allow Him to use this time in your life to teach you how to be humble. Peter did just this. And he discovered that once humility accomplishes its perfect work, God will exalt us at the proper time (1 Peter 5:6). Blessing follows the obedience of a humbled heart.

(by Dr. Charles Stanley from the March 2010 issue of In Touch magazine)

 

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Recommended reading

 

Humility: True Greatness by C.J. Mahaney

 

C. J. Mahaney paints a striking picture of the daily battle quietly raging within every Christian and asks whether you will passively accommodate the enemy of your soul, pride, or actively cultivate your best friend, humility. When you acknowledge the deception of pride and intentionally humble yourself, you become free to savor abundant mercies and unlikely graces. You will find a new life is yours—a life God richly favors. A God-glorifying life you don’t want to miss.

 

This is a must have book for every Christian’s library.  It is probably one of my most recommended books I encourage people to read, outside of the Bible of course.  This book describes what humility really means.