Saturday, March 1, 2014

Humbly refined

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17

Being humbled is sometimes so much easier than being humble.  Whether by intention or not, when someone says or does something that humbles you (even if they don't realize how their action(s) or word(s) will affect you), you cannot avoid the emotional and psychological outcome it will have on you (positive or negative).  However, to be humble is a purposeful and intentional act.  Both are needed daily to keep us firmly on God's path.  

Being humbled by someone can very easily lead to encouragement.  When I look around at the amazing disciples of Jesus Christ that are in my life, I am so encouraged.  As I watch how my fellow disciples live, act, speak, love, reach out, disciple, worship, pray, read the Word, etc., I can't help but be encouraged (and in many ways to strive to be more like them).  Daily encouragement, even in the form of being humbled, will also help us all keep sin out of our lives (or deal with sin the right way if it's in our lives). 

"See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end." Hebrews 3:12-14

I obviously chose to write about this because I have recently been humbled and encouraged, and I'm so proud of the person responsible for this.  It's so easy to get caught up in life; to think that the level of commitment we are giving to God and his commands is enough.  That we are reading our Bible enough.  That we are praying enough and to the best of our abilities.  That we are reaching out enough and talking with others about our/their faith enough.  But it's never enough.  There can never be a measure that is indicative of us giving enough of ourselves to God, doing enough in his name, or glorifying him to our fullest extent.

"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23

It's also so easy to let life burden us unnecessarily, when we can so easily turn to God in prayer and look to his Word for the answers to our struggles and sin.  This is one area that I have fallen short in lately.  I have had a rough week and have been very quick to anger.  Instead of turning to God in prayer or getting into the Word more, I burdened myself and others.  I can't imagine how much better this week might have been if I had taken a different approach from day 1...  But I'm feeling pretty humble today and I am looking forward to being more diligent in my actions as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
 
 "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." Psalm 68:19