Usable

I have been using the Bible app by YouVersion for my Android and it is safe to say that I LOVE IT!  Today, I began a three day study of humility.  Humility is a quality that is best shown and not talked about.  1 Peter 5:6 tells all Christians to humble themselves under God's mighty hand and when it is time for us to be exalted, God will exalt us.  If there has ever been a contrast between what God desires and something that God hates, it is the contrast between humility and pride.  Pride says simply, "I can do this without God."  Humility, on the other hand, says, "I can't do anything without God."  The study today gave three scriptures which I have listed below:

Numbers 12:3 "Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth."

2 Samuel 7:18 "Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?"

Proverbs 16:18 "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."

These three scriptures give us a glimpse of who God uses and what God desires.  God uses those that are humble.  The one that does not think that God owes them but simply counts it a blessing for their name to be called by God.  The one that does not feel qualified but understands that God calls and qualifies.  The one that does not think that they are special but understands that God is the one that bestows favor and gifts.  These are the characteristics of a person that is humble.  Paul says in Galatians that if anyone thinks that they are something when they are nothing is deceiving themselves. 

The proud person, on the other hand, looks at God as if God owes them something.  They feel that they deserve every blessing and should be exempt from every trial.  They feel as if God needs them.  Acts 17:24,25 says clearly that God does not need anything from anybody.  We are not "helping God out" rather we are agents of HIS will and He does as He pleases.  A proud person is headed for destruction because when we live in pride, we forget that there is God in heaven that not only created us but demands our obedience.  Pride causes us to obey ourselves rather than obey God.

Can God use a proud person?  Absolutely.  A proud person can be used to be made an example, as Nebuchadnezzar was, as Balaam was, as Ahab was and as Eli was.  Nebuchadnezzar built his golden image and was later made to eat grass like a cow because of his lifted up heart.  Balaam had to be saved by his donkey because of his pride and his manipulativeness.  Ahab caused the entire land of Israel to live under drought because of his pride and that of his wife Jezebel.  Eli thought that he could let his sons defile the priesthood and never pay the consequences.

A proud person can also be broken, as the apostle Paul was or even the apostle Peter.  Both men were full of themselves, however Peter just happened to be a disciple whereas Paul was a Pharisee that was converted to Christ.  Jesus said that a time would come where people would kill the disciples and think that they were offering service to God.  Does this not describe Paul to the letter?  His zeal for Judaism caused him to beat Christians, be complicit in their murder (see Acts 7 with Stephen's stoning) and throw Christians into prison with glee.  Paul even had a letter to imprison Christians when he was headed to Damascus; but he met Jesus and his life changed.  He was broken.  He was given a thorn in the side that God would not remove.  Peter thought he had it all figured out until he stepped onto the sifter.  He said with his proud mouth that he would follow Jesus to the cross and yet he watched from a safe distance.  He even denied being a follower of Jesus to the most insignificant people in society at the time, servants.  He too had to be broken and his denial and trial (see Luke 22) was the medicine that Peter needed to heal him of his pridefulness.

Jesus gave us the best example.  He washed his disciples' feet.  He performed this gesture not to show that he was less than than them, but that they too must humble themselves in the same way that He did.  He said to all that labored to come to Him and learn from Him because he was meek and lowly in spirit.  Jesus even humbled himself to die the death of a criminal although he was innocent of sin AND He was God in the flesh- yet he didn't consider equality with God a thing to be grasped.  He who knew no sin became sin for our sakes so that we might become the righteousness of God through Christ.  He is our model, Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, the Alpha and the Omega.  He displayed humility all of his human life, never once succumbing to the sin of pride.  Let us learn from Him and live lives submitted in humility to the Creator, Almighty God.