Verse of the Day 7-28-22

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. Philippians 2:3

One of the primary enemies of unity among Christians is the natural tendency of individuals to promote their own interests and not give way regarding their own views and opinions. Part of our sinful, rebellious nature is self-centeredness, which is encouraged because the world does not usually reward humility. Yet humility is a primary part of Christian unity because it is a key quality of Jesus’ character. the Bible’s God-centered view of humanity and spiritual salvation places the highest importance on humility. To be humble means to be conscious of our weaknesses and inadequacies and quick to give credit to God and others for what we accomplish. It involves not thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to, but instead having the right attitude toward ourselves, God and others.

We must be humble because, apart from Christ, we are sinful and have no right to boast about anything except the greatness of the Lord. We are dependent on God for our worth, purpose and productivity; we can accomplish nothing of lasting value without God’s help and the help of others. One of God’s primary requirements for his people is humility.

God lives with those who humbly follow him. God gives more grace to the humble, but opposes the proud. Christ’s most passionate and devoted followers serve “the Lord with great humility” (Acts 20:19).

As Christ’s followers, we must live in humility toward others, giving them more honor than we receive for ourselves. This follows the example set by Jesus himself. The opposite of humility is pride and arrogance-an exaggerated feeling of self-importance. Pride often gloats over one’s perceived merit, superiority and accomplishments. The inevitable tendency of human nature and the world is toward pride, not humility.

Today’s Bible Readings:

2 Chronicles 21-23, Romans 11:13-36, Psalm 22:1-18 and Proverbs 20:7