Mom asked me to fill in for her on the blog tonight, because she’s busy editing her next book; a book of prayers. I hope you can get something out of it.
God bless, Nelson
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So, I’ve been reading this book called, Humility, (Andrew Murray) and a pretty good suggestion is offered as to the meaning of something I’ve wondered for quite a while. There is the verse that says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (James 4:10 – NRSV) I think when teaching others, we tell them this is in the same vein as the one where Jesus says, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much…” (Luke 16:10)
Taught to a child or a young adult, we use this as a lesson about telling the truth and stewardship. Take care of the little money you have and you’ll get more. You’ll show God you can be trusted with more. Along the same lines, we could think that humbling ourselves means God will exalt us. But what do “much” and “exalt” really mean? In human terms, they mean money and power. But, as offered in the book, Murray says that being exalted before God means,
“The highest glory of the creature is in being only a vessel, to receive and enjoy and show forth the glory of God.”
It’s my belief that God knows we are, by nature, selfish and do things mostly to minimize pain and maximize pleasure. Even offering a kind gesture gives us a good feeling and therein lies some of the payoff. But as we continue down the road to REAL humility, the “more” and the “exalt” are less about me and more about God and others. But do I really believe that letting go of myself and my agenda for everyone else will bring the highest level of fulfillment? Hmm.
Well, I just turned 42, and a question a friend asked a few weeks back still haunts me.
“Are you growing or just growing older?”
Ouch!
But I think humility, and the “growth” he asked about happens when I change my viewpoint and see pain and adversity as opportunities to make God look good. Could this be the “more” Jesus is talking about? What if his answer to my prayer for relief is this?
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Or am I still stuck on the “more” meaning material pleasures and the “being exalted” meaning power and success?
“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
― C.S. Lewis