Humble Yourselves...

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God,  and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.~1 Peter 5:6 (NLT)
 

 



     Have you ever thought about what it really means to be humble? A simple definition of humility is: modesty, lacking pretence, or not believing that you are superior to others. It doesn't mean that you believe that you are inferior to others, or that you are undeserving or unworthy of respect or recognition; instead, it means you believe that God has created everyone in His image and likeness, everyone has equal value in His sight, and as Creator, He is greater than His creation, which includes all of us!

 

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?

 You have made them a little lower than the angels
    and crowned them with glory and honor.
 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet.

~Psalm 8: 3-6 (NIV)

     It's really difficult to be prideful when we consider the greatness of God, and how He chose to create us along with all the other things He made, gave us control of His earth and all of its resources, and then offered us the opportunity to work with Him to bring His Good News to those who don't know it. It's really sad then, when we step outside of that humility and take on the prideful nature of the enemy by expecting others to cater to us, making unreasonable demands on others, or by demeaning those who serve us in the everyday world.

     In recent news, a minister went into a popular restaurant with her group of 20 and after being served, left a very acerbic note on the bill stating: "I give God 10%, why do you get 18?" I think that most Christians gave that one a double-take, and it also ignited a lot of controversy among people who want nothing to do with church or God, simply because it was wrong. In the minister's defense, she has since apologized for her actions that resulted in the server being fired. While there are still a lot of unanswered questions about this story, it does show what can happen when we become impressed with ourselves and our accomplishments, titles, education, or social standing, and forget that without God's help, we wouldn't have any real success in life. Remember: We never have any excuse to treat anyone as if they are "less than" we are.

Later the seventy came back full of joy. “Lord,” they said, “even evil spirits obey us when we use your name!”

 “Yes,” returned Jesus, “I was watching and saw Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning! It is true that I have given you the power to tread on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the enemy’s power—there is nothing at all that can do you any harm. Yet it is not your power over evil spirits which should give such joy, but the fact that your names are written in Heaven.”

~Luke10:17-20 (Phillips)

 

     If we follow Christ's example, we will see that we are never to become impressed with ourselves, with what we are able to do, or with the amount of spiritual strength and power that we have been given, but we are always reminded to be grateful that God chose to save us from sin. In reality, it's very humbling to work with the God of the Universe in bringing His Good News and presence to the world, and never something to be prideful about!

 

 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud  or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

~1 Cor. 13:4-7 (NIV)

 

     Along with increased opportunities and recognition we  will receive for the things we do in God's Kingdom, the more chances there are for us to become prideful and available for the enemy to use to hurt others. Let us always remember that Christ's example is always humility and faith, that works by love. Selah...

 

     Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.



     ~ 1 Cor. 13:13 (NLT)



Do You Have His Attention? Pt. 2

You are of purer eyes than to behold evil,
And cannot look on wickedness.
Why do You look on those who deal treacherously,
And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours a person more righteous than he? ~ Hab. 1:13 (NKJV)

     In Part 1 of our discussion, we talked about Cain's offering and why it was unacceptable to God, because of the condition of his heart. We also learned that just as it was with Cain, it's possible for God to hate what we do for Him, if we have sin in our hearts. In these times when worship arts sometimes become more focused on the presentation than the message, how do we stay focused on the Lord, and keep His attention on us? How do stay out of the many traps and snares that the enemy has planned for us?

     The first and most important way to stay free from the enemy's traps is through prayer. Prayer is our first line of communication line with God, and without a prayer life, we have no ministry. Through prayer, we can find out what the enemy's next move is, and get His guidance on how to handle, stop, or navigate around it. Another way is to be mindful of what we say. Sometimes, we casually say things that can be misunderstood, or we speak to the wrong people about things that are going on. Also be careful of competition, and trying to outdo others. God is not judging whose praise is the best, He receives all praise that comes from pure hearts! If the band changes the music or switches songs, keep it moving and don't complain about how "they messed us up".  Speak kindly to others in your group, respect them at all times. Remember, what you have to say is never more important than the person you are speaking to; that goes for members as well as leaders. Don't look down on those who are less skilled than you are, instead, look for ways to befriend them, and offer to share your knowledge. If others have more abilities than you, introduce yourself and find out how you can learn from them.

...But the Lord said to Samuel, "Don't look at how handsome Eliab is or how tall he is, because I have not chosen him. God does not see the same way people see. People look at the outside of a person, but the Lord looks at the heart"~I Samuel 16:7 (NCV)

     This is God's work, and we're all on the same team! There is no place for striving in the Kingdom. If we are worshiping and sharing the Good News of Christ through our gifts and talents, we can all have God's attention, at the same time.

Please enjoy this group of dancers from different ministries who worked together to present a beautiful worship piece:

What is Excellence?

The word excellence means many things to different people. The term is used all the time when it comes to the ministry of the arts. For some, it is a subjective response to one’s personal taste, while for others, it is nothing short of perfection. Webster’s dictionary defines it as: the fact or condition of excelling; superiority; surpassing goodness, or merit.

 I would define excellence as being the best I can be at this moment, yet always looking for ways to improve. Excellence is not static, it is a continual journey. What is excellent for me today, should not be excellent next week, next month or next year; rather, whatever I am doing now, should give me latitude for next week, next month or next year. I should be able to look at myself a year from now, and see progressive change. As a wise person once said, either we are moving forward, or backwards; standing still is not an option. This does not mean that I cannot be kind to myself in the process, or that I am to judge others harshly, or reject them because they do not meet my standards, because in God’s economy, excellence includes kindness and humility (Gal. 5:22-23). Excellence requires focus, self-examination, and of course, hard work. It means encouraging myself when no one else seems to notice me, or when I don’t see immediate results of my efforts. Most of all, it means making the most of what I have, to please God and to share with others for His purposes.