POSTURE of HUMILITY

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

I had the distinct pleasure of serving my friends from the NEXT STEP (https://ginghamsburg.org/next-step-recovery/) Saturday. And despite some pretty sketchy weather, we had a good crowd both in the house and on-line.  It was a night of vulnerability and healing for sure.

In 2019 the NEXT STEP team desires to go through the 12 steps of recovery.  So, in January they are on Step 1.

“We admitted we were powerless over our addiction - that our lives had become unmanageable…”

No recovery can begin without this important first step.  Why just in January alone I have been a part of more than 5 or 6 “first steps” and in many cases those 1^st steps have led to a second one and that is to treatment or to a safe and sober opportunity.

But I was asked by the team to intersect the idea of HUMILITY into this theme.  So, I took that 1^st step and interjected the following…

“We admitted (HUMBLED OURSELVES) we were powerless over our addiction - that our lives had become unmanageable…”

An effective 1^st step ALWAYS starts with HUMILITY.  And I like what RICK WARREN says about humility, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less”.

If you know anything about addictive behavior it is some of the MOST INWARDLY focused and selfish.  It is often said of those suffering with substance use disorder, that “want what THEY want when THEY want it” with no regard to others, consequences or ramifications.

So, in order to start the road to recovery, one must EMBRACE the posture of HUMILTY and own the fact that life has become unmanageable, that selfishness has skewed everything, and change is needed.

Yet too often humility is view as weakness, but that can’t be farther from the truth.  Jesus was the perfect example of ULTIMATE humility.

…he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. – Philippians 2:8 (NLT)

And that posture, that mindset, that decision to put down the pride and embrace humility is indeed the 1^st step to healing and opportunity!

Now today you might not be like any of the folks who I have had honor of witnessing their 1^st step, but you can still assume a posture and attitude of humility today.  In fact, the LORD doesn’t just encourage it, He prefers it! In fact, it keeps the communication between He and you open and positive!

God resists you when you are proud but multiplies grace and favor when you are humble. - 1 Peter 5:5 (TPT)

So today, assume a posture of humility. 

Set aside the selfishness. And...

…in authentic humility put others first and view others as more important than yourselves. Abandon every display of selfishness. – Philippians 2:4 (TPT)

“As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on thing and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down you cannot see something that is ABOVE you.” ― C.S. Lewis

Have a BLESSED DAY!!!

Love all of you

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE