 God loves humility! Could that be the reason He offers so many tips on cultivating it?
May I (ahem) humbly articulate a few? Do you want to be humble? Assess yourself honestly. Don’t take success too seriously. Celebrate the significance of others. Don’t demand your own parking place. Never announce your success before it occurs. Speak humbly. One last thought to foster humility. Live at the foot of the cross. Paul said in Galatians 6:14: “The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is my only reason for bragging.” Do you feel a need for affirmation? Does your self-esteem need attention? You don’t need to drop names or show off. You need only to pause at the base of the cross and be reminded of this: The maker of the stars would rather die for you than live without you. And that’s a fact. So if you need to brag, brag about that! from Traveling Light  Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you. Jeremiah 1:5
With God in your world, you aren't an accident or an incident; you are a gift to the world, a divine work of art, signed by God. One of the finest gifts I ever received is a football signed by thirty former professional quarterbacks. There is nothing unique about this ball. For all I know it was bought at a discount sports store. What makes it unique is the signatures. The same is true with us. In the scheme of nature Homo sapiens are not unique. We aren't the only creatures with flesh and hair and blood and hearts. What makes us special is not only our body but the signature of God on our lives. We are his works of art. We are created in his image to do good deeds. We are significant, not because of what we do, but because of whose we are. In the Grip of Grace (Max Lucado)  If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8
We do ourselves no favors in justifying our deeds or glossing over our sins. Some time ago my daughter Andrea got splinter in her finger. I took her to the restroom and set out some tweezers, ointment, and a Band-Aid. She didn't like what she saw. "I just want the Band-Aid, Daddy." Sometimes we are just like Andrea. We come to Christ with our sin, but all we want is a covering. We want to skip the treatment. We want to hide our sin. And one wonders if God, even in his great mercy, will heal what we conceal. How can God heal what we deny? How can God touch what we cover up? A Gentle Thunder (Max Lucado)  What Annie Dillard says about writing in her book, “The Writing Life,” is true about all of life: “Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now.”
There is a wonder to life. Pursue it. Hunt for it. Don’t listen to the whines of those who’ve settled for a second-rate life and want you to do the same so they won’t feel guilty. Your goal is not to live long…it’s to live! You can’t be criticized for what you don’t try, right? You can’t lose your balance if you never climb, right? So, take the safe route. Or. . . you can follow God’s impulses. He says, “Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it.” Time slips. Days pass. Years fade. Life ends. And what we came to do must be done while there is time!  To the King that rules forever, who will never die, who cannot be seen, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. 1 Timothy 1:17
The whole purpose of coming before the King is to praise him, to live in recognition of his splendor. Praise—lifting up our heart and hands, exulting with our voices, singing his praises—is the occupation of those who dwell in the kingdom. Praise is the highest occupation of any being. What happens when we praise the Father? We re-establish the proper chain of command; we recognize that the King is on the throne and that he has saved his people. Walking with the Savior (Max Lucado)  God can do all things. Mat 19:26 Nature is God's workshop. The sky is his resume. The universe is his calling card. You want to know who God is? See what he has done. You want to know his power? Take a look at his creation. Curious about his strength? Pay a visit to his home address: 1 Billion Starry Sky Avenue. He is untainted by the atmosphere of sin, unbridled by the time line of history, unhindered by the weariness of the body. What controls you doesn't control him. What troubles you doesn't trouble him. What fatigues you doesn't fatigue him. Is an eagle disturbed by traffic? No, he rises above it. Is the whale perturbed by a hurricane? Of course not, he plunges beneath it. Is the lion flustered by the mouse standing directly in his way? No, he steps over it. How much more is God able to soar above, plunge beneath, and step over the troubles of the earth! The Great House of God (Max Lucado) 
"A friend loves at all times." Proverbs 17:17a
Perhaps today you are suffering from the consequences of divorce. Maybe your spouse deserted you or ran off with another person and you are feeling rejected, hurt, even humiliated. Or you may be still struggling twenty or thirty years later with the breakup of your parents and have a festering resentment against them. Or maybe you’ve been separated from your grandchildren because of divorce – something completely out of your control – and your heart is full of bitterness. If you are suffering from the consequences of divorce, know this. Your pain will not go away until you release your resentment and forgive those who have wronged you. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, know that this forgiveness is not “just another option.” It is not something God simply encourages. Jesus Christ commands forgiveness. Sometimes it’s really hard; in fact, some pain is just too deep to be forgiven on our own. Only by the power of Christ can we forgive in certain cases. So, claim that power. Ask God to help you do what you can’t do alone. Let God bring cleansing and healing to your life, and then you can begin to truly live again.  You were taught to be made new in your hearts, to become a new person… Made to be like God—made to be truly good and holy. Eph 4:23-24
Healthy marriages have a sense of "remaining." The husband remains in the wife, and she remains in him. There is a tenderness, an honesty, an on-going communication. The same is true in our relationship with God. Sometimes we go to him with our joys, and sometimes we go with our hurts, but we always go. And as we go, the more we go, the more we become like him. Paul says we are being changed from "glory to glory" (2 Co 3:18 KJV). People who live long lives together eventually begin to sound alike, to talk alike, even to think alike. As we walk with God, we take on his thoughts, his principles, his attitudes. We take on his heart. Just Like Jesus (Max Lucado)  Pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers, asking for everything you need. Ephesians 6:18
How do I live in God's presence? How do I detect his unseen hand on my shoulder and his inaudible voice in my ear? … How can you and I grow familiar with the voice of God? Here are a few ideas: Give God your waking thoughts. Before you face the day, face the Father. Before you step out of bed, step into his presence. Give God your waiting thoughts. Spend time with him in silence. Give God your whispering thoughts… Imagine considering every moment as a potential time of communion with God. Give God your waning thoughts. At the end of the day, let your mind settle on him. Conclude the day as you began it: talking to God. Just Like Jesus (Max Lucado)  Ask, and God will give to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you. Matthew 7:7
Go back and report to John what you hear and see: "The blind receive sight, the lame walk … and the good news is preached to the poor." This was Jesus' answer to John's agonized query from the dungeon of doubt: "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" We don't know how John received Jesus' message, but we can imagine. I like to think of a slight smile coming over his lips as he heard what his Master said. For now he understood. It wasn't that Jesus was silent; it was that John had been listening for the wrong answer. John had been listening for an answer to his earthly problems, while Jesus was busy resolving his heavenly ones. That's worth remembering the next time you hear the silence of God. The Applause of Heaven (Max Lucado) |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. 
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