Humility

As I was running on the treadmill this morning, I couldn’t help but THINK. There isn’t much to look at on the treadmill other than watching the T.V in front of you, or listening to praise and worship music, or people watching (well I was sort of doing all three today). But I always seem to do the most thinking when I run, who knows why. Anyways, what kept coming to my mind was the word “Humility.” I have been reading a lot about Tim Tebow lately and what a truly humble man he is, BUT I also think pride is something we all struggle with from time to time. I know I will admit I do.

I think it's safe to say that most sin stems from pride. It's an independent spirit that wants to do its own thing without any authority or direction from anyone else.

In Proverbs 6:16-19, God lists seven things He hates and one of those things is pride. Soooooo how can we refuse to let pride take root in our lives?

The only way to uproot pride is humility, freedom from pride and arrogance, a modest valuation of your own worth. It doesn't mean you think lowly of yourself, but it means you are very careful not to think more highly of yourself than you should.

In Matthew 11:29, Jesus says, Learn from me, for I am humble. He then goes on to describe Himself as gentle, meek and lowly. I just think all of those character traits are so beautiful. On the other hand, a spirit of pride is often harsh, hard, sharp and persistent. Who wants to be around a prideful person all the time?

So what are some characteristics or ways of how to live a life of humility? Here are some that help me:

1. Be Quick to Forgive

A humble person is quick to forgive, difficult to offend and joyfully waits on hearing from God. If someone is mistreating you, the best thing you can do is forgive them and be friendly. I'm not suggesting you let people walk all over you, but learning to trust that God will right the wrongs.

2. Don't Brag

Every time God lets you participate in something great you need to simply say, "Thank You, God, that You let me have anything to do with it. I know it's not me, it's You!" Give God all the Glory!

3. Patiently Wait for Promotion

Don't be in too big of a hurry to be in the limelight somewhere, to have your name on the office door at work or to have somebody call you the boss or the leader. God will choose who He puts where, and if He puts you there, then be humble about it and do what He asks you to do.

You're not going to be rewarded for whether you did what the world would call a great thing. Your reward is going to come because you obeyed God and were willing to do what He asked you to do.

Humility and patience are probably two of the hardest virtues to come by. But the truth is, all impatience is a sign of pride. If you can't stand to wait on that promotion or wait for anything, it's because you think you are too important to wait, and you should be getting what you want right away.

To truly live a confident, “humble” life, you'll need to remember where your abilities come from. The more talented you are, the more humble you should become. It should amaze you that God would put those gifts in you. It should amaze you that God would enable you to do anything. It's only with that attitude that God's glory can be fully shown through your life! I personally think humility is such an attractive trait to possess. Just remember, God wants to use YOU to further the kingdom! So HE wants to bless EVERY AREA of YOUR life!