Humility or pride? It is your choice!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.
(Proverbs 29:23 (NKJV))

There is that word again.

Humble.

In the eyes of society, humility implies low self esteem, inferiority, and even a low place in the eyes of man. Being humble before God does not imply any of these. Humility actually means that you are aware of your surroundings and that you realize you are NOT the center of the universe, and that the universe would continue just fine without you.

Humility is not an act of self abuse, but of elevation of others. A truly humble person will always think of others before he or she thinks of themself. It is our pride that tends to elevate us to the point in which we think we are the center of everything.

Humility is the God given trait that makes us realize that we are only a part of the creation and not the Creator. As a part of the creation, we must not let our pride place us as better than any other part of God’s creation, for when God created us, He created all of us to be of equal value in His eyes. We may have different roles to play within His creation, but each role is important and nothing is gained by one of us bragging or boasting. Rather, do the work of God with humility and respect.

Remember the saying, “At all times preach the Gospel. If you have to, use words.” This can only come from a humbleness of heart.

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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I am so thankful for grace!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

“Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”
(Luke 11:52 (NIV))

I am afraid to say that we still have people alive today who fall into this category. These people take what should be simple, God-given guidelines on how we are to live our lives and turn them into legalistic ritual controlled by man.

God did not intend for us to spend so much time worried about the details that we miss the grace and the joy that He has freely given to us. How can we be joyful in our salvation if we are worried about following legalistic rituals that are human traditions and not required of God? If you remember, the word “sin” is an archery term that means to miss the mark. Legalism holds us to the judgement of missing that mark.

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
(1 Corinthians 15:56 (NIV))

Jesus came into this world so that we would be free from the law of sin and death. He did not mean that we could continue to sin. He gave us freedom to escape the consequences of sin and death. We are to follow the law, but since we are not perfect, we cannot uphold the law in all things. Legalism requires that we be letter perfect in all things and at all times. People who become experts in the law seem to like to point out the flaws of others. They don’t offer guidance and grace, only condemnation. Through the law, there is no victory.

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Corinthians 15:57 (NIV))

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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