IT DISAPPEARS LIKE STARDUST

Read: Matthew 23:1-12

He who humbles himself will
be exalted. -Matthew 23:12

It’s one thing to pray for humility. It’s quite
another to live it. Our desire to be humble may lead us
to do acts of servanthood – helping in the nursery,
babysitting when it’s inconvenient, running errands.
But this can quickly turn into pride. Author and
speaker Joni Eareckson Tada said it well: “We grab for
humility and – poof – it disappears like stardust
through our fingers.”

So how can we know when we are truly humble? We
can’t! But when serving others becomes second nature to
us, we are pursuing the ideal that Jesus set forth in
Matthew 23. After pointing out that the scribes and
Pharisees were always seeking power and position, He
said, “He who humbles himself will be exalted” (v.12).

Senator Mark Hatfield exemplified the spirit of
service Jesus advocated. He attended a weekly Bible
study at his church in Washington, DC, along with other
politicians and professionals. As soon as the meeting
ended, most rushed off to their jobs. But Senator
Hatfield usually stayed to stack chairs – and he was the
highest ranking official there!

When serving others comes from the inside out, as a
true deed of compassion, we are growing in humility.
But we won’t know it. We’ll be doing it naturally.
That’s what true humility is all about.
-David C. Egner

If we would know the joy of Christ,
A wellspring in the soul,
Then we must give up sinful pride
And take a servant’s role. -DJD

WHEN WE THINK WE’RE HUMBLE – WE’RE NOT.

OUR DAILY BREAD, Copyright 1999 by Radio Bible Class,
Grand Rapids,Michigan. Used by permission.