Day 267, Year 1
Humbling Yourself
“Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12 NASB)
“Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?” (2 Corinthians 11:7 NKJV)
Believers who have received great spiritual bestowments are often in greater need to serve humbly to acquire spiritual balance. In contrast, for many new believers, compared with the pursuit of the abundant life and positive change promised by God, serving others is often not the focus of their lives. Nonetheless, the value of every person is affirmed through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Spiritual gifts are of His grace and extra blessings; they should not be used to validate anyone’s self-worth. Ultimately, God’s grace is intended for us to share with others. We should avoid using our received grace to affirm ourselves in any way, because many people, including those who were once leaders, have stumbled due to pride and distorted thoughts.
The humbleness that aligns with God’s will is to let go of everything before Him and listen to Jesus alone, which is a shift of mindset. In the church or other organizations, leaders in high positions are often required to be very disciplined and self-restrained. Jesus also commanded leaders who serve others to remain humble so that they will not become proud due to compliments or their accomplishments. Indeed, Jesus descended from the Most High position as a human being and died on the cross. He instructs us to walk on the path of humbling and restraining ourselves until the day we see His glorious face.
Pay attention to Paul’s experiences. Today’s second verse mentions that his humbleness seemed to have created a group of proud believers. At that time, the Corinthian church was problematic because Paul preached the good news to them freely, causing them to disregard the cost of receiving it. This included that no believers in the church offered back to Paul materially. On top of that, they disrespected Paul’s position as the church leader. In the same way, we should be careful not to let our own humility directly or indirectly lead to more sin or cause others to fall into pride. We should serve humbly, but we should pay attention not to encourage any irresponsible behaviors and disrespect toward leaders. Humblingly serving according to God’s guidance can further manifest the truth of the Lord and the heart of Jesus. Being humble according to God’s will is to let the words of Jesus and the heart of the Lord always be magnified.
Reflection questions:
1) Are you willing to humble yourself for Jesus and serve others as you follow God’s guidance? Why?
2) When you humble yourself, does it enable others to see Jesus, or does it breed more sin in others?