Humble Yourself

(THE KIMBERLY JOY SHOW: Humility Part 2)

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HUMBLE YOURSELF?
Humility is defined as “the opposite of arrogance and pride; an attitude that grows out of the recognition that all we are and everything we own are gifts from God.” According to Colossians 3:12, humility should be a characteristic of the christian man and woman. To humble yourself is to surrender, submit or yield to God.

As I shared in the previous article “I’m Just a Nobody: An Attitude of Humility,” John the Baptist was a great example of humility. He dedicated his life to doing the work of the Lord. He stood in the wilderness and preached the message of repentance to all those willing to listen.

He didn’t concern himself with what people thought about him. He was only concerned about pleasing God.

WHY DID PEOPLE COME TO HEAR JOHN THE BAPTIST?
Because John the Baptist was faithful to God, many people came to hear him. Perhaps they initially just came out of curiosity to see this man everyone was talking about. Maybe they wanted to see for themselves if he was as crazy as some people said he was. Regardless of the motive, once many heard the message, they believed! As a result, Matthew 3:6 says they confessed their sins, and John baptized them in the Jordan River, hence the name John the Baptist.

WHO WERE THE PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES?
Matthew 3:7 (New Living Translation) says:

“But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. ‘You brood of snakes!’ he exclaimed. ‘Who warned you to flee the coming wrath?'”

Why would John the Baptist react that way? Let’s consider who the Pharisees and Sadducees were. During this time, they were two of the most powerful Jewish groups. Although they were considered religious leaders, many of them were hypocritical, self-righteous and didn’t show love to those who followed them. So, does that mean they were incapable of changing? No, not at all! However, in this particular scenario, John the Baptist knew these particular Pharisees and Sadducees were not being sincere. He knew they weren’t listening to him because they really wanted to change.

How did he know that? When you are humble before God, like John was, God will open your eyes to see things you otherwise might not see. God might also have you speak on some things that may make some people uncomfortable. Nevertheless, when God tells you to speak, you must speak, and that’s what John the Baptist did!

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RELIGION AND RELATIONSHIP?
In Matthew 3:8-9 (NLT), John continued speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees:

“8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. 9 Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.”

In the above verses, John the Baptist was pointing out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Sadducees. To repent of your sins and turn to God means you are to begin living differently. You will live the way God expects you to live, not the way you want to live. It’s not about religion but about relationship. For instance, if anyone asks me about my religion, I have to say I don’t have a religion. Rather, I have a relationship with God. John the Baptist was humble because he had a relationship with God. In other words, he surrendered to God, talked with God, listened to God, and obeyed God.

On the other hand, the Pharisees and Sadducees only knew how to follow a set of rules and traditions. Plus, they foolishly believed they were pleasing God simply because they were descendants of Abraham and because they happened to belong to a special group. What they failed to realize is, just like Abraham had to have faith in God and a personal relationship with Him, so did they!

Personally speaking, I come from a long line of believers, intercessors, ministers, and pastors. Needless to say, I can’t ride into Heaven on their coattails. Just like my grandmother Eunice humbled herself before God and just like my mother Geraldine humbled herself and continues to humble herself, I must do the same. I must do it for ME!

(Left-Grandma, Top-Mom, Bottom-Me)

WHERE DOES HUMILITY BEGIN?
I want to encourage you to humble yourself before God. First and foremost, humility begins with confessing and repenting of your sins. In II Chronicles 7:14 (New International Version) the Lord says:

“If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

You may be going through something, or your family may be going through something right now that has you worried, concerned, and overwhelmed. Humble yourself before God and give it all to Him. Perhaps, there are parts of your life you haven’t totally surrendered to God. Perhaps you’re holding back out of fear or because it’s familiar and comfortable. However, at the same time you know God is calling you to draw closer to Him and to come up higher.

He has plans for you and blessings in store, but you won’t see any of them as long as you continue on the same path. So, let this be the day you decide to truly humble yourself before God, and watch Him do amazing things for you and through you!

THE PRAYER OF SALVATION
If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you can do so right now. I then encourage you to find a good Bible-believing church that will help you grow in your relationship with the Lord.