Hey, Sweet Things! I am back to my desk for the first time in almost a week and a half! It was called “Time Off” and I savored it like I do the last foamy sip of a grande dry cappuccino while I’m patting on the bottom of the cup. At first I was just going to stay home for the whole week since Keith couldn’t leave town right then and neither could my main running buddies, AJ and Melissa. Then, my coworkers, Sabrina and K-Mac, conspired on some possible flight arrangements, hotels and even show times if I were willing to take a jaunt to New York City. Last Tuesday, I mentioned it almost in passing to Keith and Lis and both of them said, “GO!!!!” So, I did! I couldn’t even believe it myself. I had plenty of frequent flier miles so the flight didn’t cost one red cent. I called a friend whose daughter happened to be at church camp and she was able to drop her schedule like a hot potato and meet me there. We landed within an hour of one another on Thursday afternoon and hit the ground running. I bet we walked 12 miles in Central Park over our 3 day/2 night stay and talked a hundred miles an hour. It was such an immense treat.
THEN, I flew home on Saturday evening in time to spend the last few days of my vacation with my family. We had our Bayou City Fellowship core-group church service Sunday evening (we open to the public September 11th!!! So exciting!) THEN the biggest thing of all happened: JACKSON STARTED KINDERGARTEN YESTERDAY. Amanda and I had planned for the last several weeks to spend that day together so I headed over yesterday morning and stayed until he got home from school. We made memories that I will treasure in my heart forever and replay in my mind about a zillion times. I am not going to go overboard on it right now because I’m hoping AJ will send me some pictures so I can share them with you. If you’re like me, you don’t just want to hear about a big occasion. You want to see it. SO, hopefully I’ll be able to pitch you a few pictures really soon.
OK, so change tracks with me because I’d love to hear from you about a subject. I’ve been thinking about what a gift a fresh humbling can be. Needless to say, I don’t like one any more than you do. In fact, I can’t think of many things I like less but, if we’re Biblical thinkers, we can have a whole different perspective when a humbling comes. In fact, if we really assimilated what the Scriptures say about it into our belief systems, we wouldn’t wait to be humbled. We’d go right ahead and humble ourselves as fast as we could. Why? Well, for starters…
Luke 1:48 says that God is mindful of the humble state of His servant, so we’re especially full in His mind in our humble condition.
Matthew 11:29 says that Jesus was humble in heart so, with fresh humility, we’re vastly more reflective of the Savior. And, at the end of the day, that’s what we’re doing here.
1 Peter 5:5 says that God opposes the proud but He gives grace to the humble, so, fresh humility not only puts us on the same side of the situation as God (note to self: never a good idea to invite God to oppose you), it also drops open the invisible hatch over our heads till we’re buried alive in grace.
1 Peter 5:6 tells us to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and trust that He will exalt us at the proper time. Of course, seeking to humble ourselves so that we’ll be exalted is just pride playing dress-ups but here’s the bright side of the proper vantage point: Sometimes when God humbles us, it’s because He is preparing to exalt His Name through us in some elevated capacity. “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)
So, I was just wondering: When was the last time God really humbled you? Second question: Has enough time passed for you to get some insight from Him regarding His purpose for it? If so, let’s hear it. Limit your responses to a good, meaty paragraph so we can read as many of them as possible.
I’ve missed hearing from you! Testify, Girlfriends! You are so loved and appreciated here.
I submitted a post earlier, and my pride is so deep I found myself wanting to be “noticed” – yes, in posting about humility! Mercy me. That is why I don’t blog, tweet, or do facebook.
For those of you who do these things, I have a question… How do you do it without wanting to be noticed, recognized, or in one way or another through pride? I’d really love to hear your insight, because I have a feeling that doing nothing all the time, in ways beyond social networking, (for fear of doing it with the wrong motive or in pride) isn’t a good thing either, since we’re never 100% pure anyway.
Wisdom?
Whew! Good insight, JC. Interestingly, my pride would like to claim some wisdom on this subject. Ironic, huh? But what I do have to offer is experience. In other words, yes, I too check back to see if anyone noticed me as witty or profound. How pathetic! Cure? Gracious, no. But I have found it a help to have a verse card setting next to my computer screen that reads, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” Phil 2:3. I try to read this and ask the Lord to check my motives before I hit “comment”.
Recently I was arguing with the Lord (can’t recommend that) about how I shouldn’t be moving forward in an area I think He’s asking me to, b/c it would tempt me to pride. I believe His answer was, “So do you think you overcome pride by simply refusing to do battle with it?” Hmmm. I guess pride can trip me coming and going. Lord, deliver me.
Oh Kathy, that’s profound! You are so wise.
😉
Thanks, Kathy, for your insight! I was praying someone would respond. What the Lord spoke to you struck me like a dagger to the chest. It’s true. It’s a faith issue. Do I trust he is enough to help me overcome even this huge obstacle which is my pride? I fear because the last thing I want is my pride to separate me from God. Recognition is just not worth the loss of (a sense of) his presence. But his grace is enough. Thank you, Kathy, for sharing your wisdom. I agree with you – Lord, deliver me.
Amen and amen! I’m right there with you — checking back right now to see if anyone commented/shared with me in my place of “humility”. Crazy! Thanks for being so vulnerable and for letting others see we are not the only ones. Kathy, I think having God’s Word right in plain sight is a great idea, and that has helped me at my office many times as well! Love walking this journey alongside other siestas in the trenches!
JC,
I am essentially the same way. We all want to be considered special, beautiful, captivating, to be noticed. You are right, the opposite is also pride. Thinking we are not good enough to be noticed is telling God that His creation is unworthy of anything good or noticable. I’m certain that is not why He created us. You want to be noticed because you want fellowship with other women. You want your story to be heard and your story matters!! What you have to say could impact someone’s life in a huge way…and you may never know about it. And that’s okay.
I was talking to my husband last night about chasing after your dreams. This was stirred up by Beth’s post last evening. I have a dream in my heart that will not die, a longing to write a Bible study and teach God’s Word to women. But, I feel like I must be prideful and selfish to ever think that God would use me in this way. I was sitting in the bathtub last night talking it over with God and I asked Him, “could you even use someone like me…” Before the question even left my mind He answered, “Daughter, it’s not about what you can do, it’s about what I can do through you. My power is perfect in weakness.”
I don’t know, there is a fine line between pride and humility and humility when turned into passivity is a form of pride. How do we become like Christ, who was not afraid to be noticed, wanted to be noticed…but did not thrive off of people rather He thrived off of glorifying His Father.
JC,
Recognizing it is an important first step. Keep your heart open before God about it, and ask God to keep your motives pure.
We can never be humble by trying to be humble, because the mere act of trying to rate our humility is in itself pride. Remember – humility is not thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less. So the way we will become more humble is to focus on God and serving him, losing ourselves in him in the process.
So, we need to start by getting filled each day, sometimes throughout the day, with God first. Spend dedicated quality time with Him and ask Him to fill us so that we do not have the desire to seek the approval of others.
Then, you could look to encourage or be a blessing to others thru social networking, etc. Each time you are going online, ask God to show you and opportunity to help or bless someone.
And when you get joy from the interaction, do not see it as a sin. If you start with God first and ask him to guide your every thought, word, and deed, then if you get happy through what happens, accept that as God blessing you directly and feeding you through others. As you seek to bless others, you will be blessed, and that is a good thing!
Remember – God doesn’t want us to be emotionless, chanting in seclusion, we were made to relate to God and others. So if your heart is right with God, enjoy the networking!
(So, what do you think, was that good? HAHAHAHAHA 🙂 )
Hahahaha!!! That’s really funny, Michele. It’s hilarious to make fun of your own profundity!! Thanks for your insight, too. It is so true that when I sense God’s blessing on something I run the other way.
Michele,
You blessed and encouraged someone today. Thank you for your profound insight. 🙂
May I call you Obi Wan? How ’bout if I roll my eyes while I do it? “Non-spiritual” humor aside, well said there, girlie. Be careful. I think the Holy Spirit’s showin’ 🙂
More like Yoda I am.
hahahaha
Oh as much as I love summer, I am starting to get excited about football season!! Go Blue!!!
Girl, I know exactly how you feel! I laughed out loud when I read your post ’cause that was the real reason I was checking the site again myself!!! God is working on this area with me but I have a long way to go. Unfortunately, I often find myself NOT doing something for fear of my motives too!! Uggghhh! Beth, can we all meet you for coffee?!??! LOL!!
Hahaha! Right, because we all want to be noticed by Beth, don’t we? And then we go thinking too much of ourselves or someone else! I hear you, friend. Just pretend she’s not reading. Or do what I do and pray she doesn’t respond. Hahaha! Now the cat’s out of the bag.
… I wonder if Beth’s blog stats are out of whack for people returning to the site to check on their own post. Hahaha! Or even worse, maybe the computer is so smart it knows WHO is returning to check their posts! haha!
LOL!! And then … when the computer logs one of our “familiar” names on yet ANOTHER POST?!?! We may start getting automatic responses in our emails stating … “Dear Compulsive Blogger – due to time constraints, Beth will not be reading your post (AGAIN!) So, on behalf of your Siesta Mamma – please limit your responses to 10 per day … our circuits are being overloaded! Oh, and may God Bless your day! Love, The LPM Staff” tee hee hee!! 🙂
Okay…conviction all over the place from this post…JC..loved your last comment… I’m guilty I have done that…lol..yes…guilty on the FB thing too…ugh..Humility Cometh!!!
Thanks for all these comments! This is so what I struggle with! Pride vs humility, accepting a compliment graciously, without being prideful about it, turning it back to glorify the Lord without seeming to be falsely humble. I long for that feedback that I did a “good job” but then feel guilty when someone tells me I did! What a struggle! It’s good to hear others feel the same way.
Thanks to all of you! (Don’t feel guilty now!)
Tammy
Thanks for posting, everyone. It is encouraging to know that I’m not the only one struggling with this.
Anyone have some books/teaching recommendations that might help?
I would just start with those verses Beth used in her post. Study them, their context, other verses they reference, and see where God leads you! 🙂
Will do. I ended up in 2 Cor 12:9 yesterday… somehow I think it relates, too. We’ll see.
BTW, you have the most awesome last name if it is Didasko!!! Guess you are a “teacher” after all, huh. 🙂
JC, This is why I haven’t posted in months. I feel the need for “someone” to answer, to help, to see. I have been struggling with this for awhile. I am glad to SEE someone else struggles too. How come I can’t find friends that relate?
Rebecca I struggle with this often. Please don’t feel alone. It is tough with a blog like this, so many people. There are a lot of great interactions but it is also easy to feel lost in the crowd.
Praying for you. 🙂
I do Facebook, because it connects me with others I might never meet. People use to sit on the front porch and get to know their neighbors. Facebook just expands that neighborhood a little wider and more diverse. I find I have greater empathy for others, so I am more prepared to bless those who God puts in my path, even if it is only a good morning to a friend who is stuggling.
Oh ladies-
I had been struggling with a man from my past, and I wasn’t even feeling weak in my marriage. It has thrown me for a loop I am still trying to figure out. I really believe that I was ignorant to think that my marriage could NEVER fall victim to infidelity and that it would never be “our” struggle. And that is where the enemy had his first foothold on me. I had an ex-boyfriend that I hadn’t spoken with in years, and suddenly he starts emailing me again and it’s great to catch up with him, but then I start to realize that I’m allowing myself to be very jealous of the life he has, and going down the “if only” road…if only I had chosen him my life would be….
My greatest hang up in my marriage was the fact that I am married to a a man who already has children from his first marriage, and we decided early on in our marriage that we were not going to have more children, one being fertility issues and the other being that my hubby was settled with the children he had. It was a very heartbreaking decision for me. So-my ex-boyfriend went on to have 4 children- and if only I had chosen that road he would have done that with me….Oh the emotional turmoil that took me through…and the raw emotion in my own marriage.
So-I am knowing full well what is going on this whole time…ATTACK! And God is saying RUN! And my heart is saying I can’t or more accurately I won’t.
Long story short….I had been doctoring for some health issues for some time and I had an ultrasound scheduled and we found at that ultrasound that I was 35 weeks pregnant….I am so humbled by the timing of our knowledge of this child…I am so humbled that despite my disobedience and my lack of faith…God still gave me the desires of my heart. I am humbled beyond words that God took this lowly sinner and chose her for this journey and the blessing of this child. I feel God saying every day “You told me this was the BIGGEST struggle in your marriage, here is this child….what are you going to do with your marriage?”
I am now 39 weeks and ready (as much as this type A planner can be with a month to prepare) for this child. Please pray over us that this baby will be perfect and healthy and that we will all grab hold of the blessing he brings to our family.
In Him,
Andrea
What an incredible story, Andrea! Yes, God is good to have helped you wake up and see what was happening. You could have thrown away so much, when the Lord was just about to bless you with this amazing surprise! He is so gracious to pull us away from the edge of a cliff. We all get tempted, but when the Bible says “Flee temptation” (2 Tim 2:22), it’s not kidding around. Quit any emailing with the old boyfriend, and work on loving God, your husband, step-kids and this new baby. I pray you will pursue Him with all your heart as He blesses you with this baby soon. Thanks for sharing your story. It’s a good lesson to us all to be on guard against the enemy.
THank you so much for sharing this with us. Thank you for being open about your struggle with men from your past- Praying for you and your sweet new baby.
One of the most humbling things for me was assuming I would have kids within 5 years or so of marriage and that “assumption” not happening. Big mistake to think we can plan out our lives! and just assume everything will fall neatly in place. It is very humbling to attend “upteen” baby showers and celebrate with others over their answered prayers and then have them to look at me like “oh you poor thing, God must be punishing you for somthing.” Trust me, that is what it has felt like so many times, and I had to just keep my mouth closed and not say a word and not try to defend myself. No fun at all, but extremely humbling!! But God is good and a great Father with plans that I do not always understand 🙂 Be blessed Mama Beth, thankful for you and your ministry!
Melissa-
I know exactly how you feel. God is good and his timing is perfect! We are 7 years into our marriage and having been told we would never have children, and then to be blessed with one and not find out until we are 35 weeks…is so completely humbling. Our three kids from my husbands first marriage are 17, 14, and 11 and we certainly had a different vision of what the next 10 years of our lives would look like…brings starting over into a whole new perspective, but I have no doubt we have great things to learn from this crazy journey we are on….like truly how little control we actually have over our lives. I will be praying for you!
In Him,
Andrea
Humility has probably been my biggest lesson to learn. (well, maybe second to self-control!) I’ve learned it in many ways through my marriage. I’m a control freak and that just doesn’t work in a godly marriage. I’m also very self-aware and boy does humility slap that down, too.
Probably the biggest humility lesson wasn’t so much one incident as it was many incidents that lead to God’s will in allowing my husband to be the head of the household. When we first married I wanted him to be the head of the household…but, I wanted him to do it MY way, in MY time and exactly how I would do it! That’s NOT what God said, whether us ladies like it or not. Now, I’m not suggesting you let your man just run over you, but I am suggesting that perhaps we ladies run over our men and expect them to like it sometimes. I couldn’t possibly list all the ways that God has taken my marriage and humbled me(and then proceeded to give me blessing after blessing with my man and our sweet family!), but I’m going to just bet that there’s many, many of us on here who’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. 🙂
Blessings, Kristi
In the middle of it right now- brought about by another, however I am impacted in a HUGE way, the opportunity is FRESH and the choice is to choose life or the old patterns-
Trust is the challenge for me- A good humbling can be a great time to “reset” your life. I am also having to go along side someone who is experiencing a humbling experience, I want to be the type of support that reflects God’s love
Your post is very timely, thank you and blessings- congrats on your Kindergarten student- what a special time- I pray Jackson will experience wonderful teachers who encourage all that God has created him to “be” in this world filled with lots of joy.
This Sunday. We are church planting. It started in my home. Now we meet at a high school. I have not been to a service in 4 months as I head up the children’s ministry. My 5 children help as well. So basically WE are the volunteers who never go to a service. So, I had a great drive to church, and three amazing praise songs came on. That was my time. Then we get to church and everyone is in the sanctuary. Hmmm. And then I learned that they were having a service for the volunteers! I couldn’t believe it. I felt as if I had been punched in the gut. So, I went in the girls room and cried a bit. No cried a lot. My husband came back when my son went to get him. But he is a leader who forgot to tell me about the service. Then a friend came back, and she didn’t even know what was wrong. She prayed for me…. So, I had felt like running out of the building, I stayed and ministered to the children who came. We worshiped, and prayed, and laughed, and learned. It ended up being a great morning but only because I threw my pride right out of the window at a moment when I didn’t think I could. Church isn’t about me anyway!
I was really challenged to look at my (unbeknownst to me) gigantic pride this past spring. (I hope this story will make sense.) I’m an illustrator who has had some mild success. I started a blog in December 2010 and received a fairly large following right away. Through the course of illustrating every day for it and writing to my readers, God (thankfully!!) began to show me that He is having me do this for His glory—not my own. The blog was not successful in the ways I had hoped it would be (monetarily)—at least not as much. Between showing me it was about *MINISTRY* to the lost and bringing HIM glory, I wrestled through some why’s of how come God had me take on such a huge project (with two *little* kids to also care for at the same time). I started to value my readers more than ever! Did I realize at first that I was arrogant in my heart when going in? NOT at all… I was proably portraying humility, but God knew my heart. Instead of talking down to readers (as subtle as it was), I started to talk to them as if they are better than me (though in Christ, I know I am cherished just as much). I don’t assume anything about them like I did at first. I am no wiser (that is FOR SURE) than they, I just have Jesus. He has shown me, through a public platform no less, that I am weak. He is the only reason I am strong in any way. Even creatively! And I THANK THE LORD for showing me myself in all of this!!! He allowed me to be embarrassed by my own words/attitudes so that I wouldn’t continue to try to steal His glory! I still struggle at times, of course, but I see it now (and I didn’t before), and now He and I are working on it. He is so gentle and so good!
Wow! This post’s title clutched me right through my iphone this morning as I read my e-mails to aid the awakening process.
I have been asking God to strengthen the friendship between Humility and me. 5 years ago I found out my husband of almost 10 years had been unfaithful. Short version: repentance and reconcilation didn’t happen. My story turned upside-down. No longer was I a contented wife and mother of a church leader. In fact, it took me a very long time to figure out what I ACTUALLY was. God allowed Agony to hold me close, wipe away complacency, dry my eyes and yield vision.
I ADORE God and it never ceases to amaze me that the same Sovereign arms that graced me with relational hell are the ones I couldn’t (and can’t) wait to run into. How does He do that!? (0: He is so “both-and,” so gloriously complex, and SO VERY ALL THAT HE CLAIMS TO BE.
So my urgency now is to stay humble. You see, He has gifted me so abundantly that I want to shout from tall towers. Want to sing. Expect . . . I am happier now than I have ever been because of TRUTH.
But Beth, how do I stay close? Dependent? Adoring? He holds me there. Holy Spirit . . . if you do no other thing in my life, STAY.
To see more of what He has done for me–you can visit my site–www.remenderings.com. Please don’t see this as a Rebecca plug. It is a “God has brought Eden to the wilderness!” plug. And didn’t He just promise he would!!! (Isaiah 51:3)
Tough questions!
I must say that my humility is an ongoing thing in that God is working out Diana and working in Christ.
A couple years ago my husband said ‘you are prideful’ – well that was news to me, and by the way who does he think he is, and what kind of crack was that, and if only he could see himself, and how could the most debasting woman on earth be prideful, I practically loathed myself…and by the way I could point my finger back!
So God then graciously took me step by step on what pride really is; where it is present; how I had false idols-without knowing; how my inhead comments really declared my heart; how self-loathing is a form of pride; and the list seemingly goes on. God Has been tender but TRUTHFUL, and I have seen myself through His eyes.
My last lesson has come from Oswald Chambers’ devotional “My Utmost for His Highest” that self-pity is Satanic. That has a hard hit, but worth chewing on, and seeking God about.
Thankfully God has patience for even me. His grace abounds to me, and I am worth working through!
Sorry it got so long, it’s tough summing up God’s work into 1 meaty paragraph, maybe it will be worth the read to some, who need to hear about God’s goodness! 🙂
Love to you Beth, you are indeed my teacher and mentor!
You hit it right on the head! This morning after a pitty party night, I restarted Breaking Away. I prayed in the shower and wondered why God is not making me into the women I want to be. I tell you, I heard him say(in my spirit, you have to stop being mad at Me(God). You have the faith of a child but you will not let go of past events – that you are angry with Me about.(God) you want to be a mature christian women but you are acting like a child. A spoiled one at that. This has been since you were eight when your family moved. (Yes, I allowed that.) I am in charge and sometimes I do not do what you want. In order to mature you REALLY need to let go and trust ME. I do love you enough not to do what you always want. AMEN!!
You hit it right on the head! This morning after a pitty party night, I restarted Breaking Free. I prayed in the shower and wondered why God is not making me into the women I want to be. I tell you, I heard him say(in my spirit, you have to stop being mad at Me(God). You have the faith of a child but you will not let go of past events – that you are angry with Me about.(God) you want to be a mature christian women but you are acting like a child. A spoiled one at that. This has been since you were eight when your family moved. (Yes, I allowed that.) I am in charge and sometimes I do not do what you want. In order to mature you REALLY need to let go and trust ME. I do love you enough not to do what you always want. AMEN!!
The beginning of a new school year and your post are reminding me once again of the things God has been trying to impress on me through a very painful ‘humbling’ that began over 2 years ago. Though it was not a ‘perfect’ ministry, I was ‘proud’ to be a teacher in a Christian school, working effectively with students I loved dearly (middle schoolers … imagine that!!) both in the classroom and in other areas, particularly through leading overseas ministry trips. As the economy worsened, the school’s enrollment dropped and cuts became inevitable, but after being involved with the ministry over 25 years, I never expected to be the one ‘cut’. God used the unfairness & pain of losing not only my job but also my ministry to humble me as a whole bunch of ‘junk’ I had been bottling up inside for years just spewed out. I am thankful for friends who let me ‘vent’, but also prayed for me and encouraged me that it would take time to heal and be cleansed and refreshed in a biblical manner…ongoing:) Just being the ‘weak one’ so in need of their prayers and support was humbling! There were weeks I literally could not pray, but it it was in those times of being painfully honest with myself and transparent with my prayer group that God’s precious healing presence healed and changed and renewed me. As a result, I find myself incredibly grateful for the new opportunities He has brought for ministry as He has slowly (a.k.a. in HIS time!) lifted me up out of that pit of bitterness and self-pity and pride. Interestingly enough, these very ‘humble’ opportunities, like caring for 1 yr. olds so young moms can attend Bible study on Tues. mornings and behind-the-scenes prayer & care for our church’s missionary team, have been incredible sources of joy for me. And as I’ve connected with a whole different group of people, God continues to humble me as I see the incredible things He is doing in and through them. I am continually reminded of 2 truths: I am truly not ‘indispensible’ to the Kingdom and that a heart truly filled with God’s love will find it’s greatest joy in sharing that love in the simplest and humblest of ways…with a grateful and thankful heart rather than a proud one.
My husband and I have just not been communicating well lately (and I am putting that nicely). I spent the better part of an afternoon complaining to my girlfriend about my husband. And right after that I started complaining to God about him. God really used that moment to humble me. He said Kara, regardless of what he says or does I want you to treat him with the complete respect and love. You can either decide to stop this cycle or you can continue it but one of you needs to go first. And you know He was completely right (like always :)). So I have started changing my attitude toward my husband and it is really starting to help out relationship! Praise the Lord!
As i have been thinking on this question today, i have been watching and reading about Pat Head Summit. I live in ETN, and we LOVE HER. Really, WE.LOVE.HER! I dont mean to suggest that I have any idea what is going on in her mind, but her honesty and candidness with her diagnosis as been humbling to me. I am reminded that we do not know what tomorrow brings. I run around assuming life as I know it will play out as i see it. As my heart has gone out to the Summits today, I want to commit to pray for them. I want to trust God more, I want to humble myself, daily(not just when I think about it), knowing He is Sovereign, Almighty, and He loves me no matter what happens on this earth.
Thank you for causing me to think today.
Come Lord Jesus.
I am in the midst of being humbled. Because of my husband’s job we move every few years. It’s hard because it usually takes about a year before I feel settled, like I have friends to call on in an emergency, friends that I know that love through Bible study, even until I know more than one way to the grocery store. We have been in our current home for exactly one year, and we will be moving in three weeks. It’s humbling for me to enter another season of “God alone” so quickly after finding good friends, good neighbors, good Bible study and my way around town. I keep hearing Jonah echoing in my mind as a warning to not become bitter when the plant God provides for shade dries up, and to keep my focus on eternity and making an impact while I am still here, remaining merciful and compassionate. My 3 year old son quoted to me, “Mommy, compassion is seeing someone who needs help and WANTING to help them.” It’s humbling for me to hear these warnings from the Lord and from my son. It’s humbling to be entering another season of searching for a church home, friends, and my way around town. Since I’m in the midst of it, I don’t have any hindsight yet, but I am trusting the Lord that He will bring about some hindsight, and God-willing I will be a more merciful and compassionate friend as a result of this humbling experience.
Laura, I’m so sorry that you are in this unsettled place. May the Lord send you clear, tangible signs that HE is merciful and compassionate to you in this change and the timing of it. May He link you with real Christian friends exceptionally quickly in your new home and use these lifestyle changes to whet your appetite for the continuing city Hebrews 11 talks about. Grace and peace to you in Jesus!
About 1985 my sister called me one day saying “You need to talk to this young girl!” I’m thinking What??? a young 21 yr old who was with a friend visiting my Sister had mentioned she was considering having an abortion to my sister. My sister who knew I was just 2 yrs into my new life of being a follower of Jesus thought I knew the answers to just about everything, of course I didn’t. When the girl who was in college to become a nurse got on the phone I prayed “Jesus give me the right words” I grabbed my bible and went right to Jeremiah to the verse “I knew you when you were in your mother’s womb” Then I directed her to visit a pregnacy crisis center. She became a good friend and I was there when she had her son. She married, moved away, we lost touch, I recently found her on facebook, she has 7 children and they are all Christians and she has her own Ministry. I was humbled how God used me to make a difference in one person’s life. So don’t ever think you don’t matter, you matter in ways you may never know it took 25 years for me to find out. Praise you Lord!
Well the short of it was, I saw something a coworker had and immeadiatley wanted to get mad and judgemental about it, until GOD quickly reminded me, I had been in that arena, and GOD had covered my shame. No one knew. My sin was gone, who was I to bring up his?
OUCH and AMEN!
oh my, yes! last oct., the Lord gently whispered to me that i needed to start praying because there would be change coming in 2011. i did begin praying, but not consistently or with urgency, because i didn’t sense the change. it began when a new mgr arrived at my work. since the end of jan., the Lord has made it very clear that i am to submit to this leader’s authority over me. this has not been easy, as i feel i am more competent than she is (can you say “pride”?). i am submitting to this pruning as best i can, and the SSMC has really helped. verses in particular that i have committed to help me include titus 3:1-2 and col. 4:5-6. He’s not done yet, and i feel no release to leave, although a transfer would be possible. trusting i’ll learn the lessons He has for me in this season.
Thank you Beth, for your Timely reminder of humility! I was just studying for seminary finals a moment ago. I was blustering and grumbling to myself about the inevitable explosion of my cranium if I had to cram one more hermeneutical principle into it! I was acting like Peter in the prime of pride…..boasting to God about my faithfulness to ministry the past few days; the crisis calls…the last minute counseling, thinking that surely He would bless my efforts with a sort of hyperspeed-memorizability for my devotion to His cause (gag!) And then the timely blog appeared on my screen. Along with a fresh dose of humility….it’s really not about me AT ALL. This is not just an academic exercise, it is an encounter with the Holy, living God Himself. He is engaging me with His very words, drawing me to a deeper intimate relationship….exposing my heart…urging me to trade my “I deserve-ideology”… for His “I am-invitation”. And now I remember who I am, His child and bond- servant. In my more humbler estate, I yearn for a heart like John (the disciple whom Jesus loved), nestled close to Him, momentarily forgetting every idolatrous inclination of a wayward heart. Wanting for the selflessness of Mary (the former prostitute-now destitute), at His feet, pouring forth adoration mingled with salty tears over His soon to be pierced feet. Yearning…for Jesus.
Tonight, was the latest in a long string of humblings! Gratefully, Rene’e M. Ps 138:6- “For though the Lord is exalted, yet He regards the lowly, but the haughty He knows from afar.”
In the past 2 years, God has shown me that apart from Him I can do NOTHING in ministry. He has called me into a specific ministry, given me new skills to complete the task, and then has allowed me to see no earthly form of success. It has been a very humbling and growing journey for me to be on. It has gotten my priorities straight. All I think about now is being faithful to do what He has called me to do rather than worrying about the outcome. He will accomplish what He desires in His time and for His glory, not mine!!
Recently someone I greatly respect used the word “elitism.” Although it wasn’t said directly to me, God impressed it on my heart because I had a spirit of elitism.
Lord, purge it from me. Create in me a clean heart.
There is a time that God taught me such a strong lesson I have never forgotten it and apply it almost everyday. My husband and I have been married over 20 years. During the first couple years I found out my husband had had an affair and almost everyone knew it but me. Humiliated yes,humbled maybe not. I was, at that point in my life, such a wreck myself that even though I wanted to leave I was to afraid and too insecure to do so. I pushed down the anger and hurt til it came out in the form of overeating. We put it behind us and acted like nothing had happened. I remember saying never again I will not stay thru another one. We found a great church that began to show me the love of God and forgivness and redemption. I drew so close to God and thought I had all the answers now and nothing would cause me to stumble. Then I found out my husband had had another affair. OH I ranted and raved and stomped my feet–my husband was working a 10 hour shift–when I found out so I did all this alone. Then I started praying knowing that God was going to tell me to leave and be done with him. But I didnt really know God it seems because He very gently reminded me of what He had forgiven with me. There on my knees and a puddle of tears God removed all anger and all bitterness, even from the first affair. How could I not forgive a man I loved when the only reason I loved at all was cause He first loved me. Wow! If only my lesson stopped there because 6 months later who joins my church but the woman. I was furious how could God have allowed this to happen, didnt He know what He had done now I would be faced with this woman every Sunday by the time we left church I had decided to leave and find another church. Prayer time that evening must have been a site me stomping my feet and fussing and fuming. Then I remembered a story of a woman who after her child was kidnapped began to pray for the kidnapper to have a good day and be blessed. (EYES WIDE OPEN) No way is that what You are asking me God I remember asking. Then He gently said how easy it was to forgive a husband you love, the strength and power of God is loving those we feel dont deserve our forgiveness. Wow! Once again there was no arguing with God because while I was unlovable God had sent His Son. So it began, I started off with Lord bless her (thru gritted teeth) then Lord help me to really love her like You love me. All the while I could not be around her at church, avoided eye contact, anything so I did not have to put it in action. I continued to pray and be obedient. Then it happened the day I dreaded we finished our first song and like any good southern church was asked to turn and greet our neighbors—I turn and there she is standing there–she didnt know what to do–I held out my arms and she collapsed into them. We both wept and she just kept saying I am so sorry I am so sorry and I could hear my voice saying I forgive you its ok I forgive you. The rest of the sermon is a blank all I could do was marvel at how powerful He is and how I had learned more about forgiveness from this, more about restoration, more about God’s love for me than anything else. My husband and I have a wonderful marriage and he has gone thru counseling and our marriage is restored. We have moved from the area but my last few weeks there I facilitated a Bible study in which the woman was a part of. Humilated now–no way; humbled–absolutely! Would I change this–not for anything in the world. Blessed be the name of the LORD.
I realized I have been thinking a bit too much of myself, wanting to be used in ministry, but it truly has been self-centered. My husband & I went to a Hillsong concert in Columbia,MD Saturday evening & the Spirit of the Lord spoke so clearly to my puffed up mind, “It is all about Jesus” To worship Him, the King, is truly the christian surrendered life, no part of me & my want to, being in the spotlight. All Him & for Him. Thank you Father for your kindness in the way you change my mind about true worship.Not self-centered but Jesus-centered. Love you Jesus
Done everything “right”. Became a Christian at age 8, I was one of the few that I knew that didn’t “fake” it. Met and married a my hubby 2 days after I turned 18. He was a preacher and we were starry eyed ready to work for Him and love each other through it all. On our 4 year wedding anniversary we found out that we were unable to have children of our own… enter 9 years of “pit dwelling”. I will spare you the gorey details. This April I went to Women of Faith and Laura Story was there and sang her song “Blessings”. Through that song (especially the second verse) I felt God lovingly and ever so gently let me know that I was being a brat. I repented and have been making my way out of the pit since. When I got home I started doing the Bible Study, “Believing God” which is the first of any Bible study that I have ever personally done (to my shame) and it has dramatically changed my life, revealing to me the truths of God instead of what I had decided in my mind that He was. I just finished it this week… I still haven’t watched the very last video cause I don’t want to admit it is over. ANYWAY, recently in my life, my husband and I got enough money to do artificial insemimnation TWICE, cause we’re poor. The first time it didn’t work, and we’re waiting on the results of the final attempt. I wish I could express how much it took for me to trust God with this. I know that He can do anything, so if it is His will for me to have a child He can get it done in these two times, and if it is not I AM OK WITH IT! Isn’t that amazing? God has humbled me and let me know that He is in charge of my life and I finally trust Him with it! God is good!
I’ve been where you are walking. And might I say, I was very ugly to the Lord many a time in my prayers and pain. He is faithful…even when we lose our faith. He is steady…even when we are the most uncertain. Just reading your post encouraged me to let you know…others have walked where you no tread. I don’t know the answer the Lord has for you. He answered us…in a way different than I had first imagined…and WAY later than the timeframe I had in mind. I sit and watch my daughter sleeping at night…and literally MARVEL at HIS miraculous ways. I stand with you and your husband…believing…that you will receive an answer. Prayers and blessings for you!
I too am a pastor’s wife dealing with infertility. I am not to the place you are with being totally ok with not being able to have children, but God is definitely taking me there. And the process is so humbling! I have not handled things very well at times and He is quick to let me know that. What a journey this has been. A hard hard journey. I have my days where I trust him and believe he is able. I just wrestle with His sovereignty and am not able to rest in it at times. Father help your daughters who want to be mothers! Praying for your procedure. Just had one of my own!
asked “Can we have a game night sometime?” Or one time when I asked for prayer requests she blurted out,” I got fired today because my boss hates women!”
I am pretty new to teaching my peers and don’t handle these curve balls well yet. Most of the time all I can do is just look at her, collect myself, and try to move on with my lesson. Honestly, I kind of dread the nights when she is there, fearing what is going to come out of her mouth next. Well…last night I handed out evaluations as we are coming to the end of our study. She wrote under “Improvements” that she didn’t feel like the environment was friendly. I may start to cry….here I am so full of my own self because I, at the ripe age of 26, am leading a study at my church. The Lord saved her evaluation for me to read last. After all of the glowing comments and love notes (from my friends) he dropped me right on my backside with hers. Not friendly…I haven’t been friendly to her! I am supposed to be ministering to women whether or not our personalities mesh. You’d better believe that this morning I started planning that game night!
P.S. How did Amanda do with Jackson’s first day? I fought back tears all day on Monday. My 2 yr old started preschool….I am his teacher….but I just can’t believe that he is 2 already!
Life Changing were the words my daughter used to describe our summer. First, my 16 year old learned what it means to be a “slave” to the TV, Anger, Resentment and a whole host of things that cross a 16 year old’s mind. She attended Kadesh at ACU and connected with some of the most inspiring people God could of put in front of her. Next, my husband, who was raised Jewish, was baptized in a mountain stream in Colorado at the young age of 54 (on our daughther’s 16th birthday) and accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Finally, we finished building our house, which our builder stole at least 100K of our construction money, and God saw fit to free us from the Mechanic Lien’s that hindered us from permanent financing. Also, and finally, I am reading “Feathers from my Nest” and an committed to falling in Love with Jesus as you describe. Just your average summer. I am continually, everyday humbled by the grade God shows me and my family.
Ok, so my examples are so silly, but I thought it was a good reminder when it happened the other week that I DON’T know everything! 🙂 I was rather wisely (in my own eyes) explaining to someone that a country can’t have both a president and a prime minister. I sort of went on and on with my made up explanations and even explained that its similar to the fact that a school can’t have both a principal and a headmaster. Well, wouldn’t you know it just days after my little speech I read that Russia has both a president and a prime minister. And on top of that I found out at our child’s back to school orientation last week that the private school my children attend just got a principal and they’re keep the headmaster! Well, that’s two for two…wrong again! 🙂
The last ten years have been a big ol’ heapin’ helpin’ of humble pie for me. The main thing I want to share is about addiction. For years, I was so judgmental about people with addictions. Especially, and I am so ashamed of this, my husband’s family. I thought, well if they had a little more discipline, or a little better faith or a little more gumption they could beat it.
Then two of my womb to tomb friends became alcoholics. Both of these women were brought up in church, and one gal’s mom was a well known bible study leader in our community. They were raised in alcohol free homes, and both were incredibly accomplished.
I now know that addiction is a disease, and is a daily battle for anyone who has this. I am so ashamed and humbled by my critical spirit.
Since 2001, living with chronic illness has taught me many things about God and myself. Since it started flaring again in June 2010, humility has been one of the biggest ongoing lessons: learning to say, “I can’t do this; will you help me?”; trusting God to meet loved ones’ practical needs when I can’t; accepting that I am not the go-to girl my friends and family can depend on; and just accepting that I’m not in control of this and can’t decide when it stops…. I know God intends to chisel away at my pride so more of Jesus shows through. I know that hard hearts sometimes need to be cracked open to make way for grace. I know God’s purpose in this is good. It’s not over yet, though, so my understanding of His individual agenda for me personally is still unfolding and probably will be till I see Him face to face.
Last week I was humbled all week thinking I was at a point in m,y life where insecurity was NOT ever going to win again….I have just finished up BETH’s book for the third time!lol…..but day after day leading up to dropping my oldest off at college on Saturday I was a heaping ball of tears. Mostly about if I had done all I could do as his Mother to prepare him for this journey.At the end of each day I would cry myself to sleep knowing Saturday was getting closer., and I didn’t want to come across as “CLINGY” so I would keep my mouth shut if I thought of some thing I should have said to him in the last 18 years of his life….Then I realized….this day was always coming and GOD is in control…NOT ME…this is NOT about me…and my insecurities as a mom…God created me to be his mom…and when I can’t be there for him GOD will be…my job is to pray and continue loving him unconditionally as CHRIST loves us. That humbled me….So when I dropped him off that day I rested in Christ ,knowing God will provide all his needs as he has mine….and I didn’t shed tears….I was strong in the Lord as I have always taught him to be ….and we did take lots of pics!!!! God is GOOD!!!!
Crystal, I really needed this today. Thanks so much. A week from today, I will be saying “see you soon” to my 25 1/2 year baby girl. She is one of a team of five moving to Ethopia to disciple college age students and young adults. She walked away from a comfy corp. job to hit another kind of mission field. This is a 1 to 2 year stint so I’m not sure when I’ll physically see her again. Please pray for the entire team for their safety and perseverance. Please pray for the families they will reach and the ones they are leaving behind. Specifically, for this Momma not to be in the fetal position having the ugly cry at the airport. I am begging for many prayers…….
hey Vickie! I am in tears reading your reply….it’s tough being a mom! I will be praying for you and your daughter…I have 4 boys, no girls…so I can only imagine what it must feel like to send your little girl off into the world.But we mommies have done a good job! bring lots of tissue to the airport! my son’d girlfriend said to me after i dropped my son off,” I can’t believe you didn’t cry Mrs. Crystal” and I said to her…”I did the whole week before!”lol….”and the whole week after!!!”…and I am sure I am not done yet..But mostly because I know God has been so good to my boys and to me.Love you Sister!
Just 2 weekends ago…… I have Rheumatoid Arthritis. My last major flare up was in January when I was diagnosed. I was heading to Ft Worth for my final weekend of Biblical Counseling training from SWBTS and my husband had planned to go with me. I was in an irritable mood and ended up telling him, and I quote, “I don’t need you to go with me.” We had a strained, and very quiet ride to Ft Worth. By the time we arrived in Ft Worth, I noticed my hip was in significant pain. By time I went to bed, I was having difficulty moving without excruciating pain. My hand had also come under attack. By middle of night, I had to wake up my husband and ask him to help me get medication. By morning, my darling husband had to lift me from bed, dress me, get a wheelchair for me and attempt to fix my hair for me…… let’s just say, I NEEDED him to be there with me. He did every bit of his service to me in love, tenderness and kindness. I absolutely knew God was teaching me a lesson. God humbled me and taught me how important it is to be kind and loving and not hold silly grudges over dumb things. He taught me what true servanthood is….Lovingly caring for someone regardless of how ugly they have been in the past 12 hours!!!! Thankful for my husband of 20 years who still loves me and serves me. Thankful God loves me enough to humble me!
PS I had to add….part of the humbling process was the fact I was in Ft Worth for purpose of training in giving Biblical Counsel…. sort of hard to learn how to give Biblical Counsel about loving God and others while being a jerk to your man!!!!! God used the entire weekend to serve up a dose of humble pie!!!
Hey there
I was humbled this past week when God asked me to do a particular task…It was crazy and you’l think I’m certifiable(crazy) But I’ll tell you anyway. He ask me to dig a hole and I would know where to dig when I found a black widow spider that would be the center spot (and don’t kill the spider) Well I didn’t go looking for a spider in fact I avoided times I knew they might be out. But one found me and I knew what I needed to do.. I told my husband God bless him he just said “how big” He wasn’t fazed on bit by this piece of news, that his wife would be outside digging a hole in the ground :o). I did it expecting to be rewarded :o) So prideful. And the reward was completing the task.. I struggled with that but saw that God wants me to obey Him regardless of what I receive from it. I actually wanted a particular blessing and when it didn’t come I was crushed…. I whined… I cried and God was silent. He let me have my little fit… and realize that He is the reward serving Him and doing what He asks is a priceless gift. When I completed it there was satisfaction in knowing I did what He asked of me… He Rocks!!! I love Him
I am constantly humbled by situations but one particular moment that broke me was after years of dealing with a troubled teenager and her drug use, I realized that despite what she did my love for her continued to grow stronger and not less. Even when I had to step out and let go of control and give her over to God, I loved her more and more. One day in Sunday School I realized how much more God loved me than I could ever love her and in spite of my failure and self-will that he would never give up on me either. I realized at that moment the vastness of His love for us. I was completely humbled.
I became a leader of a group at the request of another leader. And he’s been my biggest critic. Ugh.
Laura,
Thank you for showing me that I have been a grumbler this summer and getting bitter like Jonah because my “shade” has been removed and life has become difficult. This humbling reality causes me to realize that I have some changing to do.
I have been in the same church for 28 years and know my way around well, but I have stepped back due to difficulties which has caused me to turn inward (never a good place to be).
Today, I will make steps to move away from bitter grumbling and start Praising God from the heart (not just the lips) and wait for the joy to come back.
Waiting can be humbling as well.
Thank you Beth for the question, it truly is one worth considering.
I believe I am on the front end of a season of humility, however, God is starting with the backend, the backend of my van that is. Yesterday I backed into a small concrete cutting machine that was in the blind spot of my minivan. So, my van will be wearing this embarrassing dent for a while and its driver will be sitting in humility. I was just recently thinking how glad I am that my van does not have a dent (with a smug smile and a proud heart). Have you ever notices how many do? I can laugh about the small incident in a small sort of way today (still recovering in some ways). Yesterday happened to also be my 14 year anniversary. I hated calling to tell my husband that our anniversary money would now be spent on van repairs.
I did have to laugh when I opened my mother’s anniversary card that said “On your anniversary, a very happy marriage means a lot of give and take and KNOWING WHEN TO DRIVE THINGS HOME AND WHEN TO HIT THE BRAKES. A very happy marriage means you win or lose a few! It means there’s patience, fun and love and the two of you.” REALLY!!! I guess the Lord knew I would need a good laugh about my situation!
I am sure you are looking for bigger examples with more dramatic content, but this small incident reminded me that we are human, and it makes me wonder how Paul found glory in his weakness (maybe that is a testiment to his humilty). Sometimes I hate being human.
I will soon be caring for my mother-in-law who is 93 years old. I believe this is the season of hidden ministry God is calling me into, as well as humility. I am thankful for the lessons He will teach me and the goodness I will see that would not come in any other fashion. I think you are right, that if my view was centered on the Truth given in the Word, I would be racing towards the opportunity, rather than dragging my feet and my heart. Thank you for the Truth spoken and an opportunity to ponder it.
🙂 I feel your pain. Was at Swedish visiting my Uncle and forgot I parked next to a cement column…crumpled my car and took the side mirror right off. I just want to put some numbers and oil logo’s on my car so people will think it’s supposed to be crumpled. 😉
My man is a Christian… a very, very oppressed Christian. He draws every breath in fear and bitterness and pain from things he has not yet brought to the Lord for healing. He tells me he does a lot of ‘begging for forgiveness’ but – so far – doesn’t seem to want to allow God in for deliverance. Vulnerability often required for that is just too much… yet.
We’ve been married 13 yrs this December. I only became ‘sold out’ to Jesus after 18mos of marriage. It has been a wild, difficult ride. Six years ago, just after the birth of our second child, we were seeing a marriage counselor and I approached my man tentatively after putting the kids to bed. I wanted to ‘do the work’ suggested by the counselor. He flat out said NO. Well, I marched up the stairs and gave God a great big earful shaking my fist to the heavens and demanding that God do something about this man NOW or I was outta here. There have been two other times (sadly) that stood out like this in our marriage and the three messages the Lord gave me still make me literally fall on my face in humility, gratitude and expectation. One: My man is GOD’S BEST for me and I was to PRAISE and THANK HIM for this guy. That sorta made me wonder how pathetic a woman I am if this man is HIS BEST for me. But I am still learning how very true that is… I need THIS man to draw me to Jesus and to make me more like my savior every day. Two: I am an ambassador in chains and I am to bite on a link when I feel like chewing my husband out. Now, that can be taken sooo wrong. When I sensed that Word, I was totally unfamiliar with the scripter! I thought “where have I heard that!?” But I now know that the Lord would ‘chain’ me in covenant to my man so that I can witness to him in close quarters and so that we can be DELIVERED. I often have to remind myself to ‘bite on a link’ when harsh words bubble out of the lava in my gut and so that the Holy Spirit can get in there and give me the words I ought to speak. (Or silence me!) Three: the Lord totally pulled a JOB (dude from Bible, not ‘task to be done’)on me and asked if I was there when He formed the heavens and the earth, etc. It was when I was demanding fire and brimstone on my man again and this particular reprimand was especially powerful. I was SCARED and dropped to the floor of my kitchen and “NO, SIR! YES, SIR-ed” the Lord for about 5 minutes right there with my nose flattened.
I love my man. I cry for watching him beaten down. I desperately need Jesus for my OWN issues and to live in the daily stuff that is the fallout of… well, our lives and history. And I know WHO WINS. The healing will come, and oh, what a beautiful day that will be!!!
Sorry this was long.
Scripter is supposed to be “scripture”… why am I writing this correction!? 🙂
Loved this Jennifer! I thought you really meant Scripter and it was just a word I didn’t know. It made perfect sense. Thought you were referring to the “Who” who wrote the verse rather than actual verse itself. You might be onto something 🙂
I was so touched by your post Jennifer. a lot of us have issues like that with our husbands. mine won’t even CONSIDER marriage counseling. So I have gone to the COUNSELOR! One of the things I have gotten my husband to do is pray with me. it’s usually a struggle. he used to pray sugar coated prayers and I encouraged him to be more honest in his prayers to God. pretty soon he was venting the things he usually said to me, upwards to the LORD. and Lo and behold it began to have an effect on jim. god has always encouraged me to LOVE him, and see him the way Jesus sees him. I need Gods help every day to do that.
God has not given me an easy man to be married to, but that man has made me NEED the Lord every day of our 30 years together. the LORD has refreshed love between us over and over again. HE is faithful.
WOW! Jennifer I need to print this one out and read it every day! I am in the same boat! 20 years of my husband’s addictions and strongholds….and I to am like GOD this IS THE man you gave ME! I must be horrible!BUT I know what you mean by THIS man bringing you closer to God…I live beside God…and may not have if I had it with an easier man to live with! I to have a problem with yelling at God and my husband…it’s like if I don’t tell him the TRUTH , WHO WILL?Thanks for sharing !
Ladies –
I can’t tell whether to be terrified or encouraged! 30 years for Missknitsalot and 20 years for Crystal! Proves how faithful our Lord is!
I’ll choose totally encouraged.
@ knitsalot… we have prayed together off and on during our 13 yrs and God made it clear from literally instance one that I was to sit with my yap shut unless Vince specifically asked me to pray aloud. And even then, I really tread lightly. I think that has communicated far more respect to him than what I’ve WANTED to pray when he was praying aloud. 🙂 As long as he keeps asking me to pray for him I feel he trusts me with the things that weigh him down.
I’ll be praying for you siestas… we are obviously not alone!
For me, God started a big humbling process a year ago with my new job. I was ashamed to have the low paying job I had just gotten because I thought I could “do better” after having graduated college a few months earlier with 3 degrees and a minor. I let shame turn into anger and bitterness. But as time has gone on, God has showed me how much I can learn no matter what I’m doing and that character is SO much more important than status, money, or getting my way. A rather painful, but much needed lesson that I couldn’t be more thankful for. He has treated me so well through everything and I for sure can see his loving purpose. He cares about my character and my future!
Wonder what lesson is next?
Thanks for your post Hannah…maybe what He is trying to learn me for… lol
Beth,
Your words are so good to hear! It is funny how words can be so timely. This very morning, I set out on a project that I was pretty confident in – for many reasons it was a complete flop. The event was very frustrating to me and caused my attitude to become very negative. I then realized that the lesson was very valuable because it helped to appreciate the struggles of others and gave me better insight of how to be of support. Moreover, it showed my co-workers and the team that I lead that we all fail at times and that it is just part of growing. Fortunately, I had a brief amount of time to reflect and change the plan for this afternoon which resulted in a much better outcome! It is nice to know that our Father uses humility to teach us and show us how to do better through HIM.
Siesta Mama~
I just have to interrupt & say your little Tinkerbell is absolutely adorable!! I’m so thrilled Jackson loves Kindergarten.
One of the (many) things I love about you & your daughters are your family traditions like an ice cream cake treat on the first day of school. What a nice way to visit and celebrate the most important things in life….family (& sweets)! 🙂
Thank you for the reminders about the simple pleasures in life.
Ann
I love this topic! Humbling comes in so many packages. One of mine–and there are many–was more of a painful humbling. Two years ago, I had a new sister-in-law who married into my husband’s family, as I had done 15 years earlier. After about a year, I felt as though there was a barrier in place between she and I getting close to each other. She had attached to the other ladies in the family quite easily, why not to me? It was at this time that she and I were able to sit and talk, and she admitted to me that other members of the family had expressed to her the feelings of frustration that they had about me, and that those comments had tainted my new SIL’s opinion of me. Some of the complaints she heard were founded, to be sure, but some were not. It was a gut-wrenching shock for me. I realized I had been living in a bubble, assuming that all was well in my family relationships, when apparently it was not. As one who cares waaaay too much about what others think of me, I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. However, as only God can do, He used this hurt to help me examine my actions, words, and heart toward my family and friends. I am more careful about what I say, do, and assume within my relationships. I have asked God to make me a better friend, but also a person who leans more on Him than on the opinions of others. My relationship with my husband has deepened and I try harder to be a good friend rather than to merely hope everyone likes me. My painful humbling has been a grace-filled life lesson crafted only by the Master Himself.
Shelly
Thank you for sharing that! I can relate to being a people pleaser who often finds herself in situations where there are “barriers”. Usually I don’t know why they are there or how to remove them. I think you are right about being a good friend rather than just hoping people will like me. I have been praying that God will help me to relate to people better and genuinely love others. It’s a struggle!
The last time God humbled me but good was this past
winter. I was working with a group of women trying to
work with our school system to do away with some things
that were not right and not godly going on in the school.
I got prideful thinking, I would take on the problem all by myself, when God had to literally flatten me. I was sick in bed for a couple of days and I could not do a thing. That was God’s plan, not mine.
God showed me, I needed these other women. I was doing to much in my flesh. I needed to depend on Him, in prayer and also these other women were a part of His greater plan. He wanted me to build relationships with them and let them do their part not just me doing mine. I am grateful for God humbling me to be patient. For God’s plan was better than mine.
Here is my humbling experience. I was sitting in a lecture, and the speaker informed us that always putting ourselves down is a form of pride. Bam! Conviction washed over me like a cold shower. I knew it—I constantly put myself down! I did feel that I was not as good as the other “good Christian women”, but it had gone beyond that. It was a form of pointing to “Me” and in that moment, I realized it. Its been about 10 years ago, and in a Beth Bible study, she told us to pray for the gift of a true humility. I’ve never forgotten it, and if the old self-criticism crops up, I attack it with prayer for humility. God has since given me the privilege of presenting the gospel to groups of women, and a good fresh dose of humility is the place to start! Just knowing that the testimony is not about Me, but Him is way for the Holy Spirit to speak through me. Thank you Lord, for bringing that ugly thing to light so I could humble myself before Your mighty hand!
Thanks for giving us the chance to give glory to God!
I was singing on the praise team at church and was playing the egg shaker. Now, the egg shaker may look like an easy thing to play, but because there is sort of a backlash with the beans inside the egg, you kind of have to shake it a little before the beat to make the sound come at the right time. Kind of tricky. Not like the tambourine where the instant you hit it against your hand it sounds. Anyway, feeling rather proud about being able to play the egg shaker I was singing my heart out and really got into it and had my eyes closed and was really praising God. Here’s the humbling part. When I opened my eyes, I was completely turned backwards facing the back wall! Just imagine it. I have my hands raised (while playing the egg shaker, mind you) eyes closed, singing my heart out, but facing backwards!!! The funniest part is my co-worship team leaders had this look of shocked horror on their faces. They didn’t know whether to laugh or what. Hillarious! Luckily, I can laugh about it now, but I was so embarrassed! I haven’t played the egg-shaker since and I don’t ever plan to again. I guess God gives grace to the humble egg-shaker player, but turns the proud one around!
There is a certain someone who brings out the worst in me and the worst insecurities and pride issues. One visit I was feeling a little too smug. We went bowling and my first time up I found my self on all fours past the line, buzzer buzzing, with the oil all over my pants and hands. Not pretty, and humbling indeed. Next time, I plan to just bow.
I have never responded on here before but I just have to say how much I love reading this blog.
Reading the responses on this subject has:
*Made me cry
*Made me LAUGH OUT LOUD
*Taught me new words (Although I’m not convinced yet that some of them are real words)
*Made me say “That’s me too!”
Thank you Siestas for your willingness to share. You made a difference in my day!
Oh goodness, my great humbling came when I became a mother. Yes, I had it all figured out before hand. I knew how to have the perfect children, I had discipline down to an art. My gorgeous child would surpass all those ‘wild children’ around me. HA! My sweet little man was a gem until about 2 years and 3 months and let me tell you, his personality came out in full force. In the 6 months I’ve had to throw my ideals out the window and hit my knees. I’ve cried and begged for advice and sheepishly apologized to other parents and nursery workers and who ever else he acted up in front of/to. I know he will become a godly man and I’m learning daily how to best manage him and his discipline. I love him more than anything and I cherish every day we get, don’t get me wrong. I just learned really quick that I didn’t know it all!
I had a humbling yesterday actually. The Lord has been calling my husband and I to rest in Him during this, a difficult season of our lives. He has been showing us in many ways that we need to give up striving to fix the situation and just trust that He will handle it (i.e rest in Him). I have not been resting while my husband has. Yesterday my husband flat out told me, “I don’t know what’s wrong with you lately but you certainly aren’t resting.” That hit me so hard, I had to take a walk and pray. I felt the Lord pressing on my heart that I was being disobedient. Ouch. How do you like that? I had to go back inside and confess sin to my husband, apologize for my attitude and ask for prayer that I would decide to commit to resting in God by trusting Him fully. It humbled me to know that I disobeyed God and someone else noticed.
My story makes me smile thinking about it. I did a dangerous thing – I prayed that got would humble my husband, grow his spirit of humility. Oh, was I in for it! Over the course of the next few days, I kept finding myself disagreeing with him then come to find out later, I would be wrong. I felt the need to tell him every time, “you know that thing we were talking about, well you were right”. After about day 3, he was laughing as I started my sentence and said “Man, what is going on lately, you are having to admit you are wrong every time I turn around!”. It hit me! My prayer! In that instance I felt God telling me “Girl, you better start praying for your own humility before you worry about his!”. Then my pride actually answered back thinking “Oh, you must want him to see what humility looks like.” PRIDE strikes again! 🙂
Last year, I asked a group of prayer warrior women to pray against an almost life-long habit of sin in my life. Thanks to their prayers, along with mine, I was doing very well. Then, this Spring, I got the overwhelming urge to give in to it. I thought I could handle it on my own & didn’t ask my friends to pray for me. Big mistake. I gave in & felt horrible. I confessed to my friends that I had messed up AGAIN, and explained the reason why. That was VERY humbling! I am pretty sure that this is something I will battle for the rest of my earthly life as there really isn’t a rhyme or reason to when it will come upon me. I am thankful for faithful friends who pray for me!
Glad you got a fun time away, Mama Beth! Good to hear from you!
October 1, 2010 the LORD served me a heaping helping of humility when my husband told me he was leaving our marriage and our oldest daughter left home. For months despair and hopelessness were my constant companions. God was breaking down my walls of pride; but all along, He was by my side. After many prayers and much counseling, we celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary in July. Our marriage is proof that God is still in the miracle business. I am thankful for you, Siesta Mama, encouraging people to seek Godly counsel and sharing that you have been to counseling. I believe God wants every bit of pride and sin extracted from me and praise His Name, He is not content to just let me be. In July, our oldest left home again, rejecting me. God is asking me to give up control and fill every desire and need and truly make me whole. As I am releasing my dreams and my will, He is coming in new ways with His Spirit every need to fill. I am so sorry, I don’t mean to rhyme, it just seems to flow. God is calling me to radical faith. In the natural, *things* don’t look great; but His ways and His timing are never late. He is calling me to a higher level of praise and to belief in what appears, in the natural, to be turmoil and grief. Would I have ever chosen this path? A resounding no! But, deep down, I truly believe He loves me and desires me to grow. I’ve never thought of humility as a gift; but true to His Word, He is the one that from our sin and despair, does lift. Thank you LORD for this unwanted; but much needed gift.