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March 21, 2024 | Daily Devotionals | March 21

The Cost of Humility


When pride comes then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.  Proverbs 11:2

 

“Okay, God,” Collin said. He knew that instead of reading the Los Angeles Times sports page that morning he would be reading something from a Bible that he’d been ignoring for months. After picking up his Starbucks coffee and a maple scone, Collin sunk his heavier-by-the-day frame into one of those big, brown overstuffed chairs. He thumbed his way to Philippians because this week the pastor had said, “If you feel like you’re in prison, you should read it because the Apostle Paul was in prison when he wrote it.” Somewhere between the fourth sip of his cappuccino and a bit of scone, the words from the second chapter of Philippians grabbed Collin by the throat:

 

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8; NLT)

 

Years earlier Collin had written a comment in ink––now faded by time––in the margin by this passage: Even if it hurts, take the humble position. God had spoken to him those many years ago, and today He was speaking to him again. As he reflected on these verses, Collin knew that he had not been taking the humble position with his wife. That would have hurt his fun, or so he’d thought. As he began to take this message to heart, he could feel his resistance to God’s Spirit being displaced by a humility he knew he needed. 

 

Taking the humble position means doing the dishes when it’s not your turn to do them. Or swinging by the grocery store after a brutal day at work. It means putting in the conscious effort to truly focus on the other person’s words, rather than just waiting to say what you want to say. Putting other people before ourselves doesn’t come naturally to most of us. If it’s hard for you, don’t despair—you are certainly not alone. 

 

By taking the humble position, however, we open ourselves up to unexpected joy found in that place of obedience. It’s helpful to see God as the Prophet Isaiah did when he wrote, “And yet, Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We are all formed by your hand” (Isaiah 64:8 NLT).

 

Thank you Father, for yet another lesson on knowing who you are and who I am.

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