“Serving the Lord with all HUMILITY of mind …” (ACTS 20:19).
When one reads Acts 20:19-38, he finds many great virtues of the apostle Paul. Virtues such as compassion, boldness, persistence, diligence, and selflessness, but the first virtue that is mentioned is HUMILITY. And, for most of us, we understand why. God knows, and we know, that pride is the greatest enemy of the child of God, and this is especially true for the full-time servant of God!
As one author noted, “All of us have inflated views of ourselves, especially in self-righteousness, until we have visited a place called Calvary. It is there, at the foot of the cross, that we shrink to our true size.”
Biblical humility is the result of seeing God for Who He really is, and then seeing ourselves in the light of His holiness. As one author noted, “That’s the twin reality that all genuine humility is rooted in: God’s holiness and our sinfulness. Without an honest awareness of both these realities, all self-evaluation will be skewed and we’ll fail to either understand or practice true humility.”
Jonathan Edwards called pride “the worst viper that is in the heart” and “the greatest disturber of the soul’s peace and sweet communion with Christ”; he ranked pride as the most difficult sin to root out, and “the most hidden, secret and deceitful of all lusts.” Concerning the sin of pride, Edwards also wrote,“What a foolish, silly, miserable, blind, deceived poor worm am I, when pride works.”
True obedience to God begins with humility before God and man!
O Lord, forgive us of the sin of pride. Help us to get a clear glimpse of Christ in all of His glory and to see ourselves for who we really are!
“Be clothed with HUMILITY: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).
Just reflecting!!!
Reflections 