Joining GodSample

EMBRACE HUMILITY

If Satan can’t keep us from going to heaven when we die, he certainly wants to keep us from living in God’s power until we die.

This spiritual battle for trying to live the Christian life in our strength is best seen in Galatians 3:1–3:

“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

Paul is asking the Galatian Christians if God’s power was enough to save them but not enough to sanctify (grow) them. He is appealing to them to live life in the same power that saved their life—the Spirit of God!

You face the same spiritual battle, and it’s probably daily—the struggle to allow the God who saved you to continue to change you. We are only saved by the Spirit’s power, and yet we try to get sanctified in our power. It’s downright foolish! Growing up and attempting to produce spiritual fruit in our strength will never succeed, and it’s exhausting.

But in order to let go and allow God to do His work in our lives, one thing is absolutely essential: humility. The beauty of humility is that it’s not actually a demotion, it’s a promotion. Jesus said it clearly: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matt. 23:12). Many mistakenly think humility is to degrade ourselves. But that would fly in the face of our new identity. Humility is to come under God’s authority, live in His economy, and let Him carry us to victory.

Humility is essential to living near to God. If you want to have a partnership with God, to live in His grace and power, humility is the choice that makes it happen. Joining God doesn’t happen without it. The way you come to Jesus is the way you grow in Jesus—on your knees in total humility.

PUT IT INTO PRACTICE:

• Ask God to search for pride in every area of your life.
• Journal what God’s Spirit is convicting you of and be specific.
• If your pride has damaged any relationships, ask those folks for forgiveness.