Hope For Today "Humility"

None of us have to look very deeply to find ways we’ve acted on our own character flaws.  And yet, why is it always so much easier to make a list of what others did to us than to admit our own painful mistakes, take responsibility, and seek forgiveness for harm we’ve caused.

A sincere person is one who is honest, who doesn’t create false impressions, and who doesn’t operate with selfish motives.  What you see is what you get.  They do the right thing for the right reasons.  They don’t have a hidden agenda.  Could this be said of us?

When we are dealing with stress the slogan ‘this too shall pass’ is a helpful principle to remember.  God’s unfailing love surrounds and upholds us in every situation, and His strength is sufficient for all our needs.

Can we make this commitment today? Just for today I will adjust myself to what is and not try to adjust everything else to my desires. I will trust that God is working all things for good in my life.

Jesus is so challenging for us in how He lives and then calls us to follow in always seeking the good of others. We’ll never get there on our own but God is more than willing to walk with us and show us the way.

News events in these days bring into sharp focus that anger and hatred that so many seem to be filled with as opinions and convictions about numerous issues come into focus. Differences of opinion and conviction come into view. But we must remember this:  hateful angry sarcastic speech and acts of violence are not God’s way.

God wants us to learn today that in the middle of challenges, if we make a choice to trust a good God, and hold onto hope in His promises, we will endure and we will come out of the experience as better people.

Have the same attitude as Jesus – one that allows us to live below where we think we should be seen and honoured and not only willing to do that but to be told we are not doing it right.  While the humility of Jesus is something that has always astounded me, it challenges me profoundly when I consider that this is what you and I, as followers of Jesus, are called to as well.

We often attach the label, “higher education” to those degrees people seek who go to college and university after high school graduation. But, when you think about it. every student around the world is working towards a higher education. Throughout life God calls us to do the same. 

What divides us? What happened to being curious together rather than suspecting anyone who sees an issue differently from us; or seeking to solve problems together rather than attacking each other; helping each other instead of competing with one another? Where has that sense of community, seeking the common good, and sticking together through hard times gone? What does Jesus have to say about it all?

Every day we have choices to make that have some visible impact on the day and more far reaching impacts which we don’t yet see over the long haul. So, once again today, lets choose to listen to God voice and by doing that, choose life.

What is something you procrastinate about doing? Most experts in dealing with procrastination would tell us that by taking things one day at a time, one step at a time, even tasks that seem overwhelming become possible. Character building and developing our relationship with God is something else that we can procrastinate about.  However, if we focus on what is before us and do the next right thing, we can trust God to empower us each step of the journey.