Letter 14

Humility is a tricky thing to have, discuss or manage…

and

the enemy hates it.

More than any other virtue humility slips through our fingers quicker than any other and I say that as if I have ever held it in my hands. To say I have held it in my hands is where the door opens for pride to creep in, but to say I’ve never held it in my hands opens the door to either a lie or a worse type of pride.

Yes, there are different levels of pride.

But back to the subject at hand…

Where as I can’t really talk about if I have ever held it or not — what I can say (I haha) is that I have seen it. (there’s that letter again I). But that’s the only surety “I” have…

unless…

I am just seeing what I think humility is, what I think it should look like.

unless…

I am making an outward judgement on someone’s actions when really inside the humility I think I’m seeing is really empowered by their pride that I can’t see.

unless…

My view of humbleness is based on what makes me feel good about someone rather than what humility really is.

You see humility is a tricky thing to discuss, have or manage…

and the enemy knows this all too well.

That said here is a few things you can do to counter act the enemy’s attack…

1. Pray that God will help you be humble – not humiliation – not low self esteem – but humbleness, in your walk and interactions with people.
2. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about if it is happening, or if you can see it in your life… don’t look for it.
3. Beware of pride creeping in. When you start pushing for self interest, when you feel the need to dominate, when you quit listening to others and go on your assumptions instead, when your goal is to wiggle your way out of what you have done wrong, when you judge people in inappropriate ways, when you scheme to stay on top of a power chain (in your marriage, at work, with your friends, in your family, at your church), etc… these things and many more are signs of pride creeping in. When this happens pray. Ask for forgiveness and for God to make you immediately aware when pride is trying to get control of your heart again and the ability to stop it from happening.
4. Enjoy the blessings of the day, follow God with all your heart and rejoice in the things He sends your way for you to do. Live in the purity of that life He so freely has given to you. A life He has surrounded you with. (Read the post letter 13 for an example of this.)
5. Then… repeat steps 1-4.

I think it’s interesting that this week’s Bible Study- in 1 Peter (There is Hope part 13) and next week’s – deals with this subject. If you want to meditate more on the subject watch that Bible Study tonight at this link and next week we will make part 14 available here on this post as well.