Humble

I turned on the news the other day.  Throughout the half hour, there was a constant theme I was hearing from anyone that the interviewer was speaking with – an outward sense of boasting.  To me, boasting is a level above pride.  It is one speaking of themselves and their accomplishments as if no one can do it better than them, faster than them, etc.  As I listened to these people, I kept thinking to myself, “Do you actually think YOU achieved all of that on YOUR own?  Do you believe it is all about YOU and not one single person assisted YOU on this journey?”  A level of self-righteousness permeated these folks.  Yes, I went to a different channel!

I have always loved this verse as I feel strongly that Jesus is telling us exactly who we need to be and why it is important to have a humble character.   As I listen to people talk these days, I seem to hear more of this boasting and less humbleness.  Yet, the verses proceeding this verse also shows people in Jesus’ time who spoke with the same level of boasting and self-righteousness.   The Pharisees were boasters.  Throughout the Bible, we see a group of people who believed they were better than anyone else, boasting about everything that they did right, and others did wrong.  Life has not changed too much in the last 2,000 years.

As Jesus shares in this verse, it is those that share a sense of humility and humbleness who will be exalted in heaven!  So how do we do that?  How do we bring humility into our character?  My friends, it all begins and ends with Jesus.  We are sinful.  The only one who lived on this earth who was not was Jesus.  We wake up and end our days in a sinful state.  Recognizing that, both outwardly and inwardly, makes us humble.  We are not deserving of this life we have been given and the good that we have enjoyed.  Our gifts all come from Jesus!  When we not only realize this but live our lives understanding this, we move to humbleness.  We understand there is someone who is far greater than us who provides all for us. 

Asking each day for Jesus’ mercy of our sins helps us to come to this world with a humble mindset.  His glory, gifts, grace, and mercy are given to us because He loves each of us.  To live and share this mindset with others helps all to see the importance of Jesus in our lives.  Let us bring Jesus the glory of our achievements – for without him, we are nothing.  May we continue to move towards a humble heart and have the simple faith that our Jesus’ blessings will always be with us.

Dearest Jesus, thank you for helping me see where I fall short of your expectations and how, only by your grace, am I able to achieve my life.  May my heart and mouth share that I am nothing without You.  Amen!

 

Compassionate Father

 

Growing up, my dad was a strict one.  There were rules in our household, and we abided by them.  Let me state from the start – it was a wonderful childhood. Yet, my brother and I were never confused about what the rules were and who was in charge.  At the time, it seemed as if Daddy was ‘overly’ strict and ‘never’ let us do anything fun.  Yes, it may have felt like that at the time, but it certainly was not the truth.  Were we able to do things that some other kids got to do?  No.  It does not mean that we did not have fun.  As tough as Daddy may have been, he also had a soft side – a compassionate side.  It showed up a bit later in our lives, but it was there all along and was probably the man my mom fell in love with all those years prior to us children arriving.

Daddy may have been tough, but we knew he loved us.  That was never a question.  He held us accountable and surprised us with fun times in so many different ways.  He was always there for us and would show up whenever called upon.  He reminds me so much of my husband and how he shows up for our children.  When the call comes for help with a house project, he is there.  When there is a need for him to help with one of the grandchildren, he is there.  He, as well, has unconditional love and incredible support for the children.

There is only one father, though, who parents with the perfect amount of compassion, our Dear Lord.  Our Lord guides us, supports us, listens to us, understands all we go through, and unconditionally loves us.  No matter how we may disappoint Him, He never turns His back on us.  Every day, our sinful nature arises, and our Lord looks upon us, knowing we are going to let Him down.  Yet, He never leaves us or forsakes us.  Just the opposite, He keeps us close – close enough to die on the cross for our every-day sins.  This Lord, this compassionate God, is the highest Father.

Every one of us had a different childhood.  Some childhoods are filled with great memories.  Other childhoods have despair and anger.  What we need to remember is that God is there for all of us.  He is the Father for each of us and will always give us exactly what we need – His love!  On this Father’s Day, I would like to say thank you to all the fathers out there.  To my own dad who now resides with Jesus, I say, “Thank you – you deserve the best seat in the heavenly house.”

Dearest Father, thank you for showing compassion to each of your children on earth!  Amen!  

Speaking Kindness

 

It was a nice morning – sun was shining, birds were singing.  Everything was right in the world.  I was headed to the grocery store.   There weren’t many people in the store, just a few of us shopping and many young adults stocking the shelves and a few managers walking around.  Then I heard it, and it literally stopped me in my tracks.  A manager was yelling at a young associate.  He wasn’t coaching him on how to do his job better.  He was demeaning him in front of his coworkers.  The manager’s anger was not hidden, and he was going to ensure this young associate knew it!  My heart broke for the young person.  This was probably his first job, and this is how he was being treated.

I finished my shopping, reflecting back on the scenario that I had experienced.  I got to the car, loaded my groceries and couldn’t leave the parking lot.  Someone needed to stand up for that young person.  Maybe it was the mother in me.  Maybe it was the HR professional in me.  Either way, I needed to say something.  I went back into the store and asked to speak to the store manager.  I had looked at both the manager and the associates’ name badges and proceeded to share with the manager what I saw.  He stated that he would definitely speak with the manager.  Yet, I couldn’t help thinking about it all day.

Could I have done something different?  Should I have stepped in right in that moment?  I believe there were better ways I could have handled the situation.  Yet, it reminded me of today’s focus verses.  Our words can be so damaging.  Not just WHAT we say, but HOW we say it.  Our words can have tones of bitterness and anger.  Our facial expressions can share rage.  Whether we are speaking TO someone like this or ABOUT someone like this, all of it is not needed.  It doesn’t help; it only brings frustration. 

Speaking in kindness and compassion is Jesus’ way – and needs to be our way, my way.  Ensuring we speak in words and tones of forgiveness and not malice.  Catching our tongues when gossip may be ready to fly from our mouths.  All of it is not necessary.  We can share disappointment with people, but when it turns to slander, we have crossed the line.  It doesn’t benefit anyone.  It certainly doesn’t benefit who we are speaking with.  When my behavior has crossed the line, and it unfortunately has on more than one occasion, the Holy Spirit inside of me reminds me that this is not how Jesus wants me to act.  May we remember this the next time unkind words are ready to cross our lips – may we not cross the line to slander but pray to ourselves and stay on the right side of the Holy Spirit! 

Holy Spirit, on this Pentecostal Sunday, I ask that you live within me and always provide me words of kindness and compassion, with forgiveness in my heart – not anger and malice.  Amen!

Friendship

 

It has been a while since you have connected with that special person.  Maybe they have been on your mind.  Maybe you said to yourself a hundred times, “I should reach out”, but haven’t.  Maybe the busyness of life seems to have taken over.  Yet finally you have the chance to connect – whether it be phone, text, email, in person, or carrier pigeon.  Just like that, you pick up where you left off, and all is right in the world!

That is friendship.  The moment in time when the world stops and you can rest your weary head on the other person’s shoulder and realize it will all be okay.  I am truly blessed to have wonderful friends in my life, and I lean on those friends for many things.  There are times when I just need a listening ear, a chance to clear my head and move forward.  There are times when I need to get out all my frustrations and share it with those who will not judge my anger.  There are times when I want to celebrate the goodness of this world with those that can appreciate what good means to me.

Then there are the times shared in our verse for today – the times when I need heartfelt advice.  Many of those times, I enter the conversation not realizing that is what I was looking for.  Yet, there it is, in the kindest ways, shared by someone who genuinely cares about me, a friend.  I may have thought about the same thoughts they shared with me, but somehow, they are validated by the caring and kindness that a friend provides.  That advice may not always be what I want to hear, but the truth can always be a difficult thing to hear.

When you look throughout the Bible, there are so many instances where friendship plays such a strong role, for many of the reasons that I listed above.  Our friends may be close by or thousands of miles away.  We may be able to connect via text or a handwritten note.  We may have one friend or many.  Please take the time right now to pray for the friends you have been blessed with.  Remember, you have a friend that is always there for you, at any moment of the day.  What a Friend We Have in Jesus!!  He is our eternal friend, the One who will always bless your life with kindness and joy. 

Our lives can change in a moment.  Our thoughts can change in a moment.  Friendships, especially that of our Heavenly Father, can be the constant amongst the change.  Take a moment and pray for your friends, for their well-being, their souls and be thankful for their love.

Dearest Jesus, thank you for blessing us with friends, especially your friendship.  May we always realize the importance of keeping friends close in prayer and in love.  Amen!