1 Corinthians chapter 12 does an incredible job of breaking down how we are all important and needed. God created us each uniquely for a specific purpose that in turn works together with everyone else to make us one. He put it simply. Is there any part of our bodies that we would part with willingly? Is there any right for a part of our body to say one part is more important than another? This is how we are as a people. Not one of us is more important than the other and we should not be willing to part with anyone, because God has made us one in the body of Christ. It is only through humbling ourselves that we can understand our importance. This understanding will birth hope within us as we start to awaken to how God can use us. God will humble the proud, but He will use the humble.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV
King Nebuchadnezzar was a proud king. He thought the world was his and that he controlled it. Even after sending Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to the furnace to burn alive and then witnessing God save them from the flames, he still would not humble himself before God. It would take King Nebuchadnezzar losing his mind for 7 years and then being restored for him to finally be humbled before God. This is what we see in the scripture passage above. When the king is finally humbled he begins to praise God. He is filled with a hopefulness for life and how we can live together, because he knows that God is in control of everything. Pride is something we all contend with. We must become aware of it and take each opportunity that we recognize the presence of pride and choose humility. It is only when we do this that we can live on the path of hope God has for our lives.
At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
Daniel 4:36-37 NIV
Considerations for your planner:
- How do you define importance? Do you struggle with comparison? Read 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and write down how you understand these things with this scripture in context.
- Has pride gotten the better of you before? Write down a time that it did. How has that time informed your choice of humility over pride today?
A Story of Humility:
Humility really does produce hope. The more I turn away from pride and live humbly, the more I sense my future growing. This kind of hope takes the burden off me. I no longer wonder what I can do to make my life happen. Instead, I turn my focus to God.
I still have no idea what He will have me do, but I know there are big things still to be done in my life. I know God is using me and will continue to use me. There are still moments that I want to take my life back into my own hands. Just as quickly as I have this inclination I ask myself why. Why do I want to do this or that? Often the answer is recognition or opportunity. Then I ask, is this what God wants of me?
The answer to that question is usually, if God wanted me to do that then He would have made a way. It is not my job to make the introductions and place the spotlight on myself. It is my job to listen to Him and wait for when He wants to use me. It is not easy to live life, seemingly in the shadows, like this, but it has given me a peace and hope for the present and future I have not known before.
- Anonymous
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