Men of the HeartSample

A Lowly Heart

To my brothers,

We live in a society of lofty opinions.

Our culture is dominated by what we see on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Reels. Now, I don’t feel like I need to jump on the anti-social media bandwagon, but my point is this:

Today, everyone’s got an opinion and, somehow, everyone’s an expert. Everyone feels their opinion should be placed on a billboard, high and lifted up.

Lofty opinions.

Let this not be so for men of the Kingdom of God.

There’s one expert opinion that matters here: His. This expert, unlike the loudest ones in our society, describes His own heart as gentle and lowly, as we see in today’s passage.

In His Kingdom, the humble hearts are exalted, while the self-exalted hearts will be humbled (Matthew 23:12). Here, lofty opinions that distract us from knowing God get cast down (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Jesus is always right, yet His heart is gentle and lowly. This tells us that true wisdom from Heaven looks a particular way. It’s pure, peaceful, gentle, merciful, impartial and sincere (James 3:17).

It looks like lowliness.

In a world of lofty opinions, let’s ensure we are men who represent Christ to the lost by cultivating a lowly heart.

A great example of a man who cultivated a heart of lowliness is John the Baptist. Jesus called him the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, but his heart’s cry was that he would decrease, so that Jesus would increase (John 3:30).

In this Kingdom, that’s greatness.

Now, how do we cultivate this heart of lowliness?

We behold His heart.

When we get a revelation of His gentle and lowly heart, we begin to find rest. No more striving, no more trying to prove ourselves to Him. That’s the promise of Matthew 11:25-30.

When we stop trying to prove ourselves, we find freedom from our compulsive need for self-exaltation. Only then will we discover that there’s no greater place to be in life than sitting at His feet.

Fight for a heart of lowliness, my brothers.

Prayer: Lord, I pray that You give me a fresh revelation of the gentleness and lowliness of Your heart. Teach me what it means to rest in knowing who You really are, and set me free from comparison, competition, and self-exaltation. Help me be a man who cultivates a heart of lowliness so that I can be pleasing to You and represent You accurately to the world around me. Amen.

Reflection: Why do you think the Lord values a lowly heart? In what areas of your life have you fallen into the trap of trying to exalt yourself? What do you need to let go of in order to cultivate a lowly heart?