"I served the LORD with great humility...." (Acts 20:19)

"Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life."
(Proverbs 22:4)

Humiltity, what does this actually mean? I know the definition and what the world says it means, but was is the one, honest truth of this word. I bring this subject up for a number of reasons. First of all, it is the most difficult of attributes, in my eyes, that God calls us to obtain. To give up your pride and declare nothing, except to show humiltity. I say "show" because if you declared you are being humble, it defeats the purpose. Second, this was a big deal for God in a lot of the lives of the Bible's principle characters. This is so true for such people as Moses, Abraham, Noah, David, etc. Some of these I will be discussing later. First I would like to tell you where I am coming from in the role of humility, and the stumbles I have taken a long the way.

Basically, I try to live a humble life, yet I struggle with pride everyday. I was reading Proverbs the pother day in church and found it is the basic anti-pride book in the Bible. It condemns the use of pride, and says numerous times that it is the cause of much downfall in the past, present and future. Which is nothing short of truth. Pride is a great struggle in my life, yet is has caused the downturn of civilizations trhoughout History. Most recently, Bill Clinton had struggled with it when he had the very public affair with Ms. Lewinski. He thought that he was so powerful within the confines of his position, he could do anythign then lie about it. He felt it necesssary to drop his pants in the Oval Office, yet other presidents did not even see fit to take off their coat. Another example is Cesar in Rome. Rome was the most powerful civilization for decades and had no reason to slow down. However, in time of emergency, they gave the power to one man and asked him to rule until the crisis was over. The crisis ended, Cesar did not relinquish his power back to democracy, and Rome fell to the Barbarians later in history. Pride does come before the fall.

I just finished studying Exodus in my study with a bunch of guys, and learned about the life of Moses and how God used him as a vessel for His purpose. While Moses lived in Pharohs house, he has all the privledges I the world. Yet he gave them up when he killed an Egyptian that was beating on one of his people, a Jew. Thinking this would excite the Jewish people and cause an uproar for liberation, Moses stayed and sought to be their leader, seeing at what HE did was great. The Jews were non-responsive and teh Pharoh tried to kill him, yet Moses fled. After this Moses spent forty years traveling the desert and being broken down beyond recognition. This is when God used Moses for HIS purpose and not Moses'. It is seen that Moses could have lead the Jews out of slavery while in such a high position in Pharohs house, yet he would have been so proud while doing it. God caused Moses to fall and be broken so he could lift him back up to righteousness and complete God's purpose for him. This shows that sometimes in our most broken times, it is when God will uses us the most. It just so happens that this will be our most humble of times as well.

Abraham was humbnle enough before the Lord that he was going to sacrifice his only son. David was humbled before the Lord after he took Bathsheba into his bed. Salomon was humbled when he gained everything and then the Lord showed him that it could be all taken away. This happens multiple times throughout the Bible and for good reason, the Lord our God vehenmetly detests pride. As should we.

So I have been humbled lately, many times, by God. Whether its taking away things that I care about yet causing me to stray from His path. Our it is taking away great opportunites that are in His plans. I am humbled before the Lord, and will do anything taht He requires.

I really dont know why pride and humiltity are on my hart. Maybe it will help someone out that is struggling, I know it is helping me to think about such things. The verse below struck me with so conviction, that I thought it would fit this post perfectly.

"Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD's anger."
(Zephaniah 2:3)

Amen.