Tagged: humility

In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. Isaiah 11:10   Have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus: who emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant; and. HumbledHimself, becoming obedient even unto death. Wherefore God also highly exalted Him. Philippians 2:5-7 We once had a home on a quiet street with the lines drawn in order and houses neatly separated by tidy fences and carefully sectioned acres. The day we moved there from a series of years living near the Sahara, I lay down in the front yard and laughed for joy until my ribs were sore. Lush, green grass… Read More

I am grateful to the one who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me faithful in putting me into ministry, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor, and an arrogant man. 1 Timothy 1:12-13 If Paul had stopped his sentence after the word ministry, he would have been no different from the Pharisees in their religious pride of position. Yet he continued. …even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor, and an arrogant man. The small phrase even though is a sharp pivot from pride to humility. Ministry is littered with traps that open to a gaping pit of pride. Without even though, even the most gifted minister is vulnerable to falling headlong. However, even though… Read More

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world, the things that are not, to nullify the things that are. 1 Corinthians 1:28 Come and be small, said no one ever. Except, perhaps, one who learned the hard way that less is more, small is truly big, and to lose one's life is to find it. Saul's name meant sought after. One day, he would be called Paul instead. Paul means little. But that would come later, at great cost. Saul used to be the biggest personality in the room. Like a raging bull with all the credentials of ascribed honor behind him, he was an indomitable force in the early days of the church. There are many kinds of honor in the world,… Read More

For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake… 1 Corinthians 4:9-10. The great man of God, Paul the apostle, lived an examined life. A life observed, a life measured, a life exhibited for all to see. In the beginning a murderous persecutor of the Lord’s disciples, he later became God’s chosen instrument to the Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel (see Acts 9). From the beginning, Paul’s life was a spectacle. Great testimonies often are, especially of the sent ones. The Greek term for apostle, from apo = from and stella = send forth, means… Read More

But true wisdom and power are found in God; counsel and understanding are his. Job 12:13 Somewhere along the line, I absorbed an untruth: We must be experts in whatever we are expert in. I still remember the paralysis I experienced during my Clinical Fellowship Year when a patient asked a question for which I didn’t know the answer. I thought to be a good clinician I should know the answers to all my patients’ questions. I was supposed to be an expert now. Wasn’t that why I took that awful exam to become certified? Turns out, with my Certification of Clinical Competence, I should have received another certification: Certification of Lifelong Learning. Learning is the secret to many things, gratitude being merely one. I learned… Read More

Lord, how magnificent is your reputation throughout the earth! You reveal your majesty in the heavens above.Psalm 8:1 (Jesus), being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.Philippians 2:6-8 In the quiet night sounds of the little town of Bethlehem, among softly rustling sheep and the gentle munching of hay, the God of all Creation laid aside His magnificent reputation.  In the prickly straw of a manger, He yielded His praise.  Within rough-hewn homespun… Read More

The old me, like a seed in the ground, can be forgotten after all. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory (Colossians 3:2-4). The closer the hour drew to the seminar I was to teach, the more anxious I became. I obsessed about my hair. I fumbled with my lipstick. My mind went blank, and I couldn’t remember my subject matter. Past failures and foibles paraded through my mind, mocking me. I was a wreck. I could not blame my nerves on busyness. After a deeply satisfying night’s sleep, I’d enjoyed breakfast in… Read More

The best gift a mentor can give is the example of a heart still learning from Jesus. @audreycfrank She had delivered thousands of babies during the French occupation of the medieval city. When the French left, only she was permitted to stay. All other expatriates were sent away, leaving the nationals to redeem their own country once again. But the beloved English midwife was nurse, mother, and grandmother to many, and her place in the old city was secure. No one could imagine life without her, so she was allowed to remain. By the time I arrived, Miss C was in her seventies. I was a first-time mother and new to the exotic Muslim world. God knew I needed Miss C. Hers was one of… Read More

The critic stood on a ridgeline, high above the dusty road where King David and his mighty men walked. Foam gathered in the corners of his mouth as he shouted down curses in the name of the Lord on the king. With cracked and calloused hands, the critic grabbed the nearest rocks and pummeled David and all his men with stones. "Get out! Get out, you man of blood, you scoundrel!” (2 Samuel 16:7, NIV) The Bible tells us that all the troops and the special guard were assembled, marching on David’s right and left. This did not deter Shimei. Angry and vindictive, he continued running and shouting curses wildly as he went. And somehow David continued to walk through flaming criticism without losing his… Read More