Don't Be Tooting Your Own Horn

2 Corinthians 12:17 KJV; Do not commend yourself. Only those the Lord commends is approved.

Servants Not Lords

5th Sunday of Lent; 2nd portion of the gospel from the lectionary for today:  Mark 10:35-45 KJV; We are called to serve others.

The Ego Must Die

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." (James 4:10 NRSV)

Let that ego die! Let it die, now!

Jesus did not exalt himself on earth. He humbled himself. He was willing to even suffer death on the cross for our sake. Why should we think that we ought to be more exalted than the one who was willing to give his life that we might live?

St. James wrote:

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." (James 4:8-10)

It is folly to attempt to exalt ourselves. "He (Jesus) sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, 'Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.'" (Mark 9:35)

In the end, all of our vain attempts to gain recognition for ourselves will fail us. It is only God who can lift us up. We will be lifted up by His own hand. Remember, too, that when Jesus was lifted up, he was lifted up on the cross. He was exalted through death.

Let that ego die so that you might live more fully in Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Acting Humble

Flagler Beach, FL

The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility. (Prov 15:33 KJV)

When we continually grovel and proclaim our own humility; when we "act" as though we are less than because we think that others will look at us and say "what a humble person he/she is;" when we use words that flatter others to exhibit our own humility, that is not humility. When we have to prove our humility so that we might receive the honor that we desire; that is not humility. That is pride. 

“True humility does not know that it is humble. If it did, it would be proud from the contemplation of so fine a virtue.”  (Martin Luther)

God's Peace - Pr. J