Humility

We frequently hear how humility is needed to progress in holiness, and I have really been thinking alot about humility this week. What does it mean to be humble? It's obvious that Jesus was humble and what did he do? He taught us to love and to serve. So what does it mean to serve?
When I think of a servant, I immediately think of a Butler. You know, the kind we see in a movie. What he does is crucial for the master, but he's not really a major player. He's in the background taking care of his duties, quietly. When acknowledged for his service he merely says, "Thank you". He doesn't parade around saying, "look what I did" or even try to get noticed by anyone while doing his work. He is merely there to serve his master, and he knows his purpose is to make sure the master's work can be done. He is only there to truly serve.
How often do we go about our days looking for recognition? How often do we keep score with those around us? It's tough to be humble, but the more we ask God for humility, the more opportunities he gives us to practice. "Ask and you shall recieve". God bless.

Speak Up

How often do you allow something to happen in your life that you don't want to happen merely because you don't feel like dealing with the opposition or complaints that occur when you speak up? Most don't speak up because dealing with the complaints or oppositions just seem like too much of a hassle, or for others it's because they don't want to create waves or disturb the peace. But what is the end result of not expressing our true feelings or desires? We loose our own peace, and we are allowing our plans or our desires to be taken away from us.

Now speaking up does require a bit of discernment because we must all be flexible at times and we can't think only of our own plans and desires lest we become selfish. But to discern the matter ask yourself some questions:

1. If I'm allowing this to happen, how will I truly feel at the end of the day and are my feelings legitimate?
2.If I allow this to happen will it upset my plans so much that I won't be able to recover within a reasonable time frame?
3. If I allow this to happen, does it set a moral or immoral example for someone else?
4. Then finish this statement..."By allowing this to happen, that means that I am also allowing...___... Is that O.K.?
"By not allowing this to happen, that means that instead ....___...will occur."

Many time speaking up is a choice which means, when we don't speak up, the results or consequences of that becomes something we have chosen. So what are you choosing?