LIMP
IN LIEU OF SWAG – THE BLESSING OF HUMILITY
BREAD
9 To
some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody
else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple
to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The
Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not
like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax
collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 But
the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but
beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 I tell
you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For
everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be
exalted.” Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)
14 The
Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men,
but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s
sight.” Luke 16:14-15 (NIV)
12 On
hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who
need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this
means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the
righteous, but sinners.” Matthew
9:12-13 (NIV)
22 This
righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
There is no difference, 23 for
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by
his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:22-24 (NIV)
12 So, if
you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13 No temptation has seized you
except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be
tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also
provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 (NIV)
9 For I
am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle,
because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace
to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I,
but the grace of God that was with me. 1
Corinthians 15:9-10 (NIV)
26 Brothers,
think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human
standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish
things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world
to shame the strong. 28 He
chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things
that are not--to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast
before him. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (NIV)
6 But
godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take
nothing out of it. 1 Timothy 6:6-7
(NIV)
5 Young
men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe
yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore,
under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him
because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:5-7
(NIV)
BUTTER
"It's okay to realize you're crazy and very damaged. All the best people are." Anne Lamott
“God’s grace flows downhill to the low places, not uphill to
the pompous and put-together places. All the fitness Jesus requires is that
you feel your need of him. All you need is nothing; all you need is need.” Scott
Sauls
“I am not what I ought to
be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world;
but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I
am.” John Newton
“The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die
for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep
confidence at the same time.” Tim
Keller
“Pride
alienates man from heaven; humility leads to heaven.” Bridget
of Sweden
“Humility
is nothing else but a true knowledge and awareness of oneself as one really
is.” The
Cloud of Unknowing
“Some people are
full of talk against legal doctrines, legal preaching and the legal
spirit. Yet they may understand very
little of what they are talking against.
A legal spirit is far more subtle than they imagine. It can lurk,
operate, and prevail in their hearts even while they are inveighing against it. For as long as a man is not emptied of
himself and of his own righteousness and goodness, he will have a legal
spirit. A spirit of pride in one’s own
righteousness, morality, holiness, affection, experience, faith, humiliation or
any other goodness, is a legal spirit…It is even possible to have a
self-righteous spirit about one’s own humility and to be self-confident about
one’s own abasement…But he whose heart is subject to Christian humility has a
very different attitude…Christians who are real saints and the greatest in the
Kingdom…humble themselves as a little child…They look upon themselves as
children in grace..”
Jonathan
Edwards
“I continue to pray for you in the
struggles you face. I’ve been so helped as I’ve thought about some of the
following things. I don’t want you to ever forget that Moses stuttered and
David’s armor didn’t fit and John Mark was rejected by Paul and Hosea’s wife
was a prostitute and Amos’ only training for being a prophet was as a fig tree
pruner. Jeremiah struggled with depression and Gideon and Thomas doubted and
Jonah ran from God. Abraham failed miserably in lying and so did his child and his
grandchild. These are real people who had real failures and real struggles and
real inadequacies and real inabilities, and God shook the earth with them. It
is not so much from our strength that He draws, but from His invincible might.
I am praying that He will give you courage in this quality of His.” Scott Sauls
HEART SAVOR
·
Nothing
in my hands I bring, only to the cross I cling.
·
I am to
be careful if I think I am standing firm.
I am well aware of the weakness of my own flesh.
·
I can do
all things through Christ who gives me strength.
