Many people have the wrong idea about humility. They think being humble means groveling in front of others, or believing they are inferior. Humility is being comfortable with who you are in Christ, and seeking to build others up not yourself. It is gratefully walking in God’s grace, love, and forgiveness. You can be a peacemaker without needing to fight for your rights. The picture of humility in the Bible is one of a tough (not passive) person who cares for others.
Humility is recognizing that you need
God’s help,
and knowing you can’t succeed in your own strength. It is thanking God for your
talents and gifts, and giving him credit for your accomplishments. Your
Heavenly Father is waiting to meet you where you are. Whenever you get away
from the busyness of life to encounter God, He’ll change your soul in ways that
go beyond what you ever imagined. Here’s how you can use silence, seclusion,
and humility to grow closer to God:
1.
Face yourself as you
are, and let God help you. Rather than hiding
from God, denying who you are, or trying to control what others think of you,
allow the truth of who you are to surface and face the reality of the person
you see with all your flaws. Then remember that God loves you deeply and
unconditionally, and ask Him to meet you right where you are.
Ask Him to help you grow more into the person
He wants you to become. Use whatever painful new knowledge you’ve gained about
yourself to repent from sin and grow closer to God with the confidence that He
will help you every step of the way.
Keep in mind that God is for you, with
you, and in you when you open yourself up to His powerful presence. So
give yourself completely to God, who loves you just as you are but also loves
you too much to let you stay as you are.
2.
Incorporate silence, seclusion,
and humility into your life regularly. Choose a regular time
and place to get away from life, and spend at least 10 minutes as often as you
can. Ask God to help you express your need for Him through a humble prayer, and
choose a physical position that will enable you to stay alert and worshipful.
3.
Let emptiness lead
you to God’s fulfillment. Don’t try to deny or
avoid the emptiness you feel inside sometimes. Instead, recognize that
emptiness can be good when it motivates you to turn to God to seek fulfillment
during your times of humility. So feel the pain of your emptiness as it carves
out space in your soul for you to receive more of God’s presence.
4.
Let the love that you
experience pour out into other people’s lives. Each time that you
return to life in community with other people draw upon the love that God has
given you to love others in the ways He wants you to express love from speaking
encouraging words to serving them when they need help with something. Take what
God has given you during your meetings with Him, and use it to bless others
when you’re with them.
5.
Overcome resistance. Don’t let anything
distract you from devoting yourself regularly to times of seeking God in humility.
Entrust each of your current concerns specifically to God in prayer so you can
be free to be fully present with Him.
6.
Pay attention to
what’s stirring in your soul. Notice the feelings
of desperation and desire that you experience at various times. Instead of
trying to suppress or run from those feelings, let them motivate you to pursue
time with God.
7.
Receive God’s
guidance. The more time you
spend with God the more you’ll learn how to recognize God’s voice when He
speaks to you. Pray for the guidance you need to make wise decisions. Trust
God’s timing.
8.
Seek rest for your
body, mind, and soul. Pray for the wisdom
you need to recognize when you’ve become dangerously exhausted by life’s
demands to the point where you can’t hear God’s voice speaking to you. Accept
God’s invitation to rest in His presence.
Rather
than showing up tired for your special meetings with God, give your body the
rest it needs by getting enough sleep and exercise, eating well, and drinking
water regularly. While you’re spending time, take deep breaths and let the
peace of God’s presence fill your body. Let go of concerns that your mind is
trying to hold onto by opening yourself up to the revelation that comes from
God Himself. He can speak to you about things that your mind can’t figure out.
Ask God to help you quiet your mind and
listen to Him by trusting that He knows best for you. When your soul feels
grateful for God’s love, express that gratitude to Him.
“Israel,
trust in the Lord. Trust in him now and
forever.” Psalm 131:3 (ERV)[i]
[i] Inspired
by the sermon “Drawing Near to God: Drawing Near with Silence” (installment four)
Sunday August 26, 2018 Pastor JR Zarate CenterPoint Gahanna Church Gahanna, OH.
·
“8 Steps
to Meeting God in Silence and Solitude” by Whitney Hopler
·
“The Bible Shows the Power
in Humility” by Doug Britton
Additional source used:
No comments:
Post a Comment