Real Life ~ Real Answers

A Humble Heart You have just been promoted in your job and have been given a raise. This came as a surprise to you as you did not see it coming! God has given you talents to succeed in your business and He seems to be blessing you with this promotion. The praise and attention come from your boss on and co-workers and soon you start to look for this praise on a daily basis. What biblical truths can you meditate on to keep a humble heart? How can you publicly give glory to God in your job?

Outpouring of Praise

If you haven't read through Luke 1:46-55 yet, may we encourage you to take the time to reflect and mediate on these wonderful verses? In these verses we find that Mary is praising God from a humble heart. The context here is that she has just arrived at Elizabeth's home after her visit from the angel Gabriel. She goes with "haste" to Elizabeth and upon greeting Elizabeth, Mary is blessed by Elizabeth for her faithful obedience and trust in God's word. Mary's heart praises the Lord for His work in her life. Mary reflects on what God did for her personally, what God does for His children and what God does for Israel. After all these magnificent events, she chooses to turn back and praise God for who He is and what He is doing in her life. What a marvelous example of humility. How are you praising God? Do you praise Him from a humble heart? Do you give Him thanks for all that He brings to your life? When was the last time you took "inventory" of the many blessings He has given you? Don't delay, praise God today for who He is and what He has done for you!

Mary

In Luke 1 we encounter Mary for the first time in verse 27. We learn much about Mary from studying Luke and other parts of Scripture. We learn that she is engaged to be married to Joseph, a carpenter, and that they were both poor. It is likely that Mary was a teenager when the angel Gabriel visited her, since Jewish girls married young. We find that she has been given grace to carry out the responsibility of bearing and raising Jesus Christ. The angel's greeting to her literally means, "Grace, you who are highly graced!" Although she was a godly woman, it was God's grace that made her God's choice. Some religions in our society elevate Mary as a woman who is worshipped, yet we can see in Scripture that God in His plan chose Mary to carry out her plan. She was an ordinary young girl who was seeking to follow God's plan for her life. May that be said even of us today. Are you carrying out your role as a woman? As a wife? As a daughter? As a mother? As a grandmother? As a Titus 2 woman? Mary was willing to be used by God in whatever way He desired. Her response in Luke 1:38 shows us a picture of her servant's heart. Read this portion of Scripture and pray that God would give you a humble, servant's heart so that you may be used of Him.

Humility, part 2

Over the last 2 weeks the ladies have discussed the manifestations of humility. Here are the remaining manifestations. Are these present in your life? 3) Focusing on Christ, 4) Biblical praying, 5) Being overwhelmed with God's grace, 6) Being thankful towards others, 7) Being gentle and patient, 8) Seeing yourself as no better than others, 9) Having an accurate view of your gifts, 10) Being a good listener, 11) Talking about others if it is good, 12) Being submissive to those in authority, 13) Preferring others over yourself, 14) Being thankful for criticism or reproof, 15) Having a teachable spirit, 16) Seeking ways to build up others, 17) Serving, 18) Quickness to admit when you are wrong, 19) Quickness in granting and asking for forgiveness, 20) Repenting of sin as a way of life, 21) Minimizing other's sins or shortcomings in comparison to your own, 22) Being genuinely glad for others, 23) Being honest about your spiritual growth, 24) Possessing close relationships.

Humility

Today the ladies continued on in our study of "pride in possessions" from 1 John 2:16 by introducing the "put on" of humility as the opposite of pride. The manifestations are taken from the book From Pride to Humility by Stuart Scott. 1) Recognizing and trusting God's character, 2) Seeing yourself as having no right to question an Almighty and Perfect God. As the ladies continue with this study over the next several days, we pray that you will ask God to help you cultivate these manifestations of humility in your life.