February 18

King Without a Crown 

 
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself  by becoming obedient to death. Philippians 2:8 

 

The humble king is an oxymoron unless you are talking about Christ. He was noble and self–effacing; powerful and gentle; authoritative and accepting; sovereign yet submitted; royal yet humble. Yep, this is our man. Who better to copy, right?! We are called to imitate, model, and project the ability to temper our influence with humility for God’s purposes in others. To do this we need to think humbly. 

 

Here’s a little exercise: On the count of three, be humble. It’s kind of comical, and a little squishy. What is humility and how do we walk in it? God’s vision of humility for you looks like this: You have influence without ego — You are capable of retaliation but choose reconciliation — You pass up power to increase God’s influence — You submit to God’s plans versus presuming them — You freely notice others — You empty yourself instead of being self-entitled — You are willing to honor your efforts in His time. 

 

Ask yourself: Do I see Jesus humbly and clearly? — Do I want the character quality of Jesus in my own life? — What sort of character do people sense when they’re around me? — Do I make things easier or harder for them by being humble? — Am I stand-offish or easily embraced by others?

 

After you answer these questions with an honest assessment, take the first step of humility by submitting your life to Christ. That’s what Jesus-style humility looks like. That’s what it means to be humbly significant. It isn’t being weak and letting people walk all over you. It’s walking in the quiet confidence that you are a warrior in God’s kingdom, and your king has your back.

 
Father, You are awesome; thank You for loving me and replacing the world’s way with Your Way.