Do Not Be Overcome! The Power of Humility

Have you ever seen a flower put a paper bag over her head? Have you ever heard a flower say, "I am nothing; I am no one. I am a miserable, no-good loser who can't get anything right. But that's okay; it doesn't matter, because I don't matter"? Have you ever looked at a flower in appreciation for its beauty or fragrance and heard it say, "Oh, no, no. Don't look at me. Look at her. She is so much more lovely than I. She is everything a flower should be, but I am hopelessly flawed"?

No. Flowers do not talk. If you have heard flowers talking, please seek medical help immediately. If flowers really said those things, wouldn't we think them foolish? Flowers astound me, making me think of the amazing work God did when He created them. I have not, however, considered how wonderful the flower is at making itself so enjoyable. That is absurd. The flower has nothing to do with it. God gets the credit for that.

And He gets credit for this, too. How much more intricately and specially designed are we than flowers? Yet, how often do we say things like those foolish talking flowers? I have often been guilty of saying or thinking things like that. We are called to be humble, but that kind of talk is just self-depreciating, self-centered, and insulting to the One who created us. Am I being too harsh? Well, too bad. It ticks me off the way Satan always distorts the very things that are intended for making Christians powerful and effective. And I firmly believe that true humility is a super-powerful weapon of mass destruction against evil. It is a mysterious cure for the disappointments and discouragements we face in this life.

How is this possible? It is because when we truly humble ourselves, we are free to be all that we are called to be in Christ. He is calling us out to be overcomers! My prayer is to be truly humble before my Creator, not in a self-depreciating way, but in His way. How freeing to be able to honestly say with gratitude, not pride: "I am pretty fantastic. I am an amazing creation, and I get to do amazing things thanks to Jesus."

I think one of the keys to becoming truly humble is to realize that we are nothing, but not to stop there.

Jesus said,

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:5

Apart from Christ, we are nothing of eternal significance, but in Him we are fruit-bearing plants--useful, beautiful, attractive, fragrant, nourishing, and productive. When we humble ourselves by drawing our nourishment from Him, not the soil of the world or of ourselves, we bring Him glory the same way that a beautiful flower does. Others see the fruit of our lives, and it is a credit to the One who made us. It is not for us to cut ourselves down. Neither is it for us to exalt ourselves.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.

James 4:10

Truly humble people are not insecure. I believe they are the most confident people on earth. Understanding that I don't have to conjure up greatness on my own is a relief. I love to start off my days agreeing with Jesus when I pray: "Jesus, You are my vine. I can't do anything today without You, and I don't want to. Teach me to stay connected to You so that I can bear fruit today. I humble myself before You, and know that You will lift me up in Your perfect timing."

When you come into agreement that apart from Him you can do nothing, it's nice to know what you can do with Him. Here is just a small list of who you are in Christ. If you already know all of this, be newly encouraged by these truths. If this is news to you, soak it all in and believe it, because it's true!

If you have received Jesus as your Savior, then:

You are immeasurably loved with a love that passes

understanding

Ephesians 3:19

You are the apple of God’s eye

 Psalm 17:8

God takes delight in you and rejoices over you with singing

Zephaniah 3:17

You are redeemed and forgiven

 Colossians 1:14

You are healed

1 Peter 2:24

You are free from condemnation

Romans 8:1-2

You are the head and not the tail

Deuteronomy 28:13

You are a conqueror because of Christ

Romans 8:37

You are a friend of Jesus

John 15:15

You belong to God and have been bought with a price

1 Corinthians 6:20

You are accepted

Ephesians 1:6

You are cared for

1 Peter 5:7

All things will work together for your good

Romans 8:28

You have not been given a spirit of fear

 2 Timothy 1:7

You are led in triumph

2 Corinthians 2:14

You are a precious child of the Most High God

 Romans 8:16

You are a citizen of heaven

Philippians 3:20

You are complete in Christ

Colossians 2:10

You are no longer cursed

Galatians 3:13

God has a good plan for your life

Jeremiah 29:11

You can do everything through Christ

Philippians 4:13

You are God’s workmanship

Ephesians 2:10

You have been chosen by Jesus

John 15:16

You are God's special possession

1 Peter 2:9

In Him you are above only, and not beneath

Deuteronomy 28:13

You cannot be separated from God’s love

Romans 8:35-39

Anyone else have ideas for cultivating healthy humility? I'd love to hear them.