Scripture

 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

 ~Philippians 2:3, NLT

Quote

Like a filter on a computer, a mindset of humility must block our pride.

~Franklin Graham

It is impossible to serve ourselves and Christ at the same time. We are all cursed with the tendency to put ourselves first. Humility is the foundation that ministry, missions, worship and evangelism are built on. If we lose our money, we have lost nothing; if we lose our health, we have lost something dear and precious, but if we lose our humility and our character, we have lost everything. Humility has always been the most elusive virtue. Once you think you have it, you have surely lost it. Lucifer was the most radiant of all God’s angels but he was not content to be an arch angel, he wanted more; he wanted to be the most high. He wanted others to serve him instead of him serving others. Instead of humility, he wanted power and his pride turned him into a devil.

You have heard me say often. “Pride is a snake in the grass.” It strikes without warning and often we are bitten long before we become aware of its presence. Someone said, “Pride is the only disease suffered by man in which everyone knows he suffers except himself.” It is the nature of pride to blind us. Peter, who was bitten more than once, gives us good advice…So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor {1 Peter 5:6}. Note: our job is to humble ourselves–it is the LORD’s responsibility to lift us up. All true humility will be rewarded.

Extra

I regret to inform you that my good friend and neighbor Randy Lewis has taken a turn for the worse. He is in Decatur General in critical condition. I hope to be there by mid-morning. I have not made my retirement home visits since Christmas and I hope to do so today. Most of today will be visitation and tonight, thank goodness, we have our PHD fellowship and it could not come at a better time for me.

We are making progress on our new home but still not close to moving. The kitchen has to be framed before the Plummers return. We will be able to finish the utility room as soon as the water and gas get stubbed in. Lori has been painting and the bed room is all but done. We have all the electrical finished except a dryer plug in the laundry room, which is 16X9. More than twice the size of our present laundry room. Lord willing, we will be back at the compound on Thursday.

We took another one on the chin or for Ty on the head. He got elbowed late in the game and his ear was purple. Of course no foul was called. We got drilled by Austin-West. Both their coaches play their starters the entire game and press the entire game, no matter what the score. It is humiliating for the kids and the parents. I love my grand children and I feel for them, but as I drove home last night, I acknowledged to the LORD that it takes humiliation to build character and I want my grand children to have character. Character is more important than sports. Humiliation is a form of discipline and it is never pleasant.

Pray for Randy!

I hope you have a great day.

Extra/Extra

There have been five or six times in my life when I had unusual liberty and freedom to speak. Times when I was both the speaker and the listener or learner. Times when the Holy Spirit hit the override button and took control of my tongue to the point that I was shocked by what came from my lips. Let me repeat, this is very rare for me. One of those occasions happened on a Sunday night at New Friendship. I was the guest evanglist. When this happens, the thing to do, is to bow the head in humble gratitude but that is not what I did. I felt an unusual swelling of pride. On the way home, I began praising myself: “Wow Jack, you knocked it out of the park tonight.” Yeah right! By the time I got home, I realized my mistake but it was too late. The next three services {Monday-Wednesday} I was miserable. I hate pride, it will trip you up and it is so sneaky.