“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. “ Philippians 2:3 CSB
There is an acronym I heard years ago: JOY. JOY equals Jesus, Others, Yourself. It is the key to living a JOY-filled life. Three small letters, so easily said, yet so hard to live. It can’t be accomplished without humility. Humility is freedom from arrogance or pride, a modest estimate of one’s own worth. It isn’t saying you don’t have self worth, it’s just saying you realize God is God and you’re not. The world doesn’t actually revolve around you or me, it revolves around God. That is why you must stay humble and hungry for His word.
There isn’t a morning I open up my Bible and am not convicted of something. The harsh word I said to my husband, the friend I should of called but didn’t, the opportunity I had to serve a stranger that I let slip by. I am a true believer when God places someone in my path, there is a purpose for it. I call them Divine Appointments, meetings God has placed on my calendar I know nothing about. And they will humble you.
I have a neighbor named Dot. She’s a widow that lives in the next subdivision. I’ll never forget how I met Dot. I was driving home one day when she cut me off in her little red VW bug. I was so angry, nothing can make me more mad than other people’s driving. I didn’t outwardly do anything, but inwardly I was fuming at her selfishness. But what can you do? I went on home and tried to let it go. It was about 15 minutes later when there was a knock on my front door. It was Dot, out walking her dog. She had seen where I lived and she had come to apologize to me for cutting me off. I was humbled immediately for the thoughts I had had just minutes ago. Dot explained she truly hadn’t seen me, it wasn’t her intent and she was truly sorry. That is how I met Dot, and now she is my friend. A Divine Appointment that humbled me greatly.
Dot did nothing out of selfish ambition, but in humility, she considered me more important than herself. She taught me a lesson I will never forget. One I hope to share with others. Mark Batterson, pastor of National Community Church in D.C. puts it this way:
“If you STAY HUMBLE and STAY HUNGRY there is nothing God cannot do in you or through you.”
He’s right, there is nothing God can’t do if you stay humble and hungry for Him.
