Day 10: The Importance of Humility
He must increase, but I must decrease. - John 3:30
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
- James 4:10
One of the most beautiful things about becoming a devout Christian is the way it transforms the heart. We receive His Holy Spirit, who takes up residence within us. We bow our heads in humility, ready to submit our lives to our Almighty Father. Our focus shifts from our will to His, and we begin to view the world through His eyes, no longer blind to His message.
Pride hardens hearts to the point of being unreachable, and breaks our Father’s heart in the process. When we hear the words “prideful” and “humble”, certain people most likely spring to mind in each category. Think of your relationships with those in each category, and, chances are, you’ll see a difference between your toxic relationships and your healthy ones. You’ll then begin to understand that there’s no room in God’s Kingdom for the prideful. Our Father calls for us to be humble, so that we may inherit the earth. {Matthew 5:5}
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. - 1 Peter 5:5
Prayer
Almighty Father in Heaven, I come to You, eternally grateful for the blessings You give my family and me every day. Father, I’m asking You to fill my heart with humility so that I may serve You and my brothers and sisters to the best of my ability during my time here on earth. Give me the virtues of kindness, compassion, patience, and generosity, and show me everyone who needs my help. Father, help me cultivate healthy relationships and reflect Your light so that the lost can find You through me. Inspire me to use the gifts You gave me to bring more people to You so that they, too, may serve You, and join me on the journey Home.
In Jesus’ precious name,
Amen
John 3:22-30
After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into prison.
Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John, and said unto him, “Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.”
John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Resources
John MacArthur Sermon
Humility Is the First Law of Ministry {John 3:22-30}
Bible.org Commentary
A Lesson in Humility {John 3:22-30}