Have you ever taken a moment to simply watch nature? The other day, I sat outside in my purple and gold lawn chair. It was overcast and a cool breeze brushed through every now and then. My sweet golden retriever slept nearby. With some background music playing in my ear, I just sat there. Pretty soon, nature came alive around me. Two small hummingbirds zipped pass looking for sweet nectar. A cicada buzzed loudly as it went from tree to tree. Then a thought came to me. These animals weren’t striving. They were living in the moment. And it was so peaceful.
In the book of James, it talks about humility, but not in the sense that one would expect. The apostle describes a person who is trying to please God and world. This person is caught up in the race rat of life. Striving to obtain things so that the world will deem them important. On the surface, this can seem harmless. After all, we can justify our reasons for achieving success. We want to make our parents proud. We want to create a future for our children. James digs deep into the real motives which is pride. He states that true humility is putting your trust in God and not your own works. Resist pride. Then God can exalt us. We don’t have to strive. He’ll open the right doors at the right time.
This leads into the second aspect of humility which is trust. To be honest, I struggled with this part of the chapter. What was so wrong in making plans for my life? As Christians, our life is not our own. Seeking God’s will for our life takes humility. The Bible says that a man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. So, it’s not making plans that is wrong. It is an act of pride to not include God in those plans. Prayer takes humility. In doing so, we say that we don’t know what’s best. We need God to show us the right path. Not only that, but we are open to changing course if He instructs us. Ultimately, we submit to His divine purposes.
This chapter of James brought true conviction. I had to stop and consider if I was taking everything to God in prayer. Was He included in the plans that I had for my life? Do I really trust Him with my life? In the book of Isaiah, it states that we can trust God. He has an amazing track record. He is God, and there is none like Him. When we humble ourselves, He will lift us. We don’t have to strive. Instead, we can just be and live in the moment knowing that He’s got everything under control.
Be encouraged! 😊
written by Christa Martina
FB page: See Martina Write
Scripture References: Proverbs 16: 9 “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”
James 4:13-16 (NLT) “Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.”
Isaiah 46:9-10 (NLT) “Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.”
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