There is always room for life improvement. We all should be pressing daily toward God’s higher calling for our lives. Like Paul, we should want to know Christ, to see the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow…”And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” — Luke 18:1.
Humility and service to others is needed to show the love and support to people on this journey called life. Church people often forget that the church building and its resources belong to God and should be used for kingdom-building. Do you realize how closely peace and humility are tied together? One breeds the other. Neither can exist without the other because it is with great humility that we have the peace of God in our lives.
I mean people are encouraged to attend worship services and discover and unlock the power of prayer. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 8-9 NIV) .
Humility is the quality of being modest and respectful, recognizing one’s limitations, and valuing others’ contributions. It involves a balanced self-view, acknowledging strengths without arrogance, and accepting weaknesses without self-deprecation. Some key characteristics of humility are self-awareness: Being someone who understands personal strengths and weaknesses, and the willingness to listen to others and learn from the teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We should also be living with gratitude, recognizing and appreciating the help and contributions of others, and for sure, the work of God our Father and Jesus Christ. Also, we should be living with compassion and empathy, understanding and valuing others’ lives, actions, and experiences.
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Empathy: Understanding and valuing the feelings and experiences of others. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you, Eph. 4:32 NIV.
What is needed to have this great and powerful humility? Well, self-reflection with the aid of the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit provides us with the teaching and feedback that is needed to grow in our walk with God the Father.
True servant leadership requires ongoing growth. We need to spend time with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, remain teachable, and pray for God’s guidance, which requires great humility. Above all, we should look to Jesus — study how he lived, and how he loved.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb 12:1-2).
Being truthful with ourselves about the inward battles we are fighting sometimes daily and even hourly will allow us to come to a place of acknowledgment. The place of acknowledgment will bring us to the choices of accountability for lives and actions.
We can be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. God can, will, and shall do for us that which we cannot do for ourselves. We are given grace and mercy. We can have victory in life when we hold fast to our faith in our loving and awesome God and Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to lead and teach us.
There should not be any amount of shame and/or commendation because of our weaknesses. However, we must take our weaknesses/sins before God the Father. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1 8-9 NIV).
Studying the word of God and seeking understanding to be able to excise wisdom in all matters in life is vital to our growth and relationships. God knows us very well because He made us in His image, and we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Everyone and everything must be tested and tried in the fire. Even our Lord Jesus Christ was led in the wilderness by the Spirit to be tested.
The wilderness seasons and experiences humble us as we are brought face to face with our greatest weaknesses, fears, and inadequacies. The Israelites made a 40-day’s journey into 40 years because of their unbelief, rebellion, and not seeing their true selves whether good or bad.
There are times in everyone’s lives when fear takes hold. The problems of life can easily overtake us. Running away from your problems can be for several reasons. Anyone can have moments of struggling with anxiety, self-esteem, fears, and a lack of faith. It’s times like these we must lift our eyes unto the hill from which comes all our help (Ps. 121:1).
Anthony Armstrong is a former pastor at Unity Christian Fellowship Church at Pine Bluff.
Editor’s note: Pastors, ministers or other writers interested in writing for this section may submit articles for consideration to shope@adgnewsroom.com. Writers should have ties to Southeast Arkansas. Please include your phone number and the name and location of your church or ministry.