What Are You Reading? Humility and Contentment

well hello happy Monday morning I hope that you are doing well this morning and as you know because we're already into November and we've been doing this series all year long we're doing what are you reading and a few weeks ago I believe I shared with you about this devotional book from Jackie Hill Perry called upon waking and her day 17 it's a day that I've actually read three or four times now because I've just been stuck on it um and the topic and it's come up in multiple other areas I've had people um we had a meeting and somebody brought up Naaman and um the the servant girls in second kings the servant girl who is nameless and yet points to God and so she's not even named and yet she plays a huge role in a story and so humility has been coming to the forefront over and over again. And I think that's interesting as we enter into a season of Thanksgiving and a season of Christmas and just looking at how the Lord came to the earth. We looked at that last week and how he was so humble to step down and come and come down to earth. But I want you to turn with me and we're going to look at Galatians 1 verse 10. This was her theme verse for the day And it says, for am I now seeking the approval of man or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. And so that's a bit convicting. I don't know if it's convicting to you, but it is for me. And then I want us to look at John. She also touches on this in her devotional. But in John chapter 12, verse 42 through 43, this is after we're talking about the belief and unbelief among Jews of who Jesus is. And it says, yet at the same time, many even among the leaders believed in him. That's Jesus. But because of the Pharisees, they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than praise from God. And so that's a really convicting thought. You know, are you seeking the praise of man more than the praise of God? And she goes on in her devotional. Sorry, let me turn the page. She goes on to say, and I just want you to listen to this. When is the last time you did good without expecting, hoping, or suggesting it be noticed? When you gave, served, prayed, fasted, studied, rejoiced, taught, died to, wiped, cooked, cleaned, labored for, organized, plucked out, cut out, built up anything, did you expect a parade? When it didn't come, how did it leave you? Bitter? Discouraged? Both maybe? Could it be that the expectation belongs to an invisible pride, the kind that leaves us unsatisfied by the gaze of God? And so that is something that's interesting, because in the study that I'm doing on Tuesday mornings, we talk about how we are to stare at God and just glance at our lives. But God gazes at us. He stares at us. He knows all. He is with us in all things. and so if we know that why are we unsatisfied with God's gaze and his praise and instead would rather have the praise of man and so that was a really convicting thought for me I don't know if that convicts you at all but then I want you to listen to this other portion because while I can say things and remind you that humility is important the one that we need to look to for example is jesus christ himself you know we want to look at yeshua we want to look at his example of humility and so she talks about his first miracle turning water into wine and she says you know there's a wedding jesus is there with his disciples his mother too the wine is there and then it is all gone and mary asked jesus to help and of course we know that the servants then they they fill it up and they serve it and everyone's this is the best wine and it says the water now wine is tasted and praised as being better than the first but have you ever noticed who was praised and how it wasn't jesus i had never really fully contemplated this before the master of the feast has no idea he just swallowed a miracle most of the party doesn't either for all they know the bridegroom was being an excellent host. All the goodness they drank poured out of them and toward the one for whom it didn't belong. Meanwhile, the maker of the wine and the world stood in the room completely content with not just sharing his glory, but releasing it completely to someone who didn't deserve the credit. And so I want to ask you today, because that's very convicting for me. What area of your life do you need to release the praise? What area of your life do you need to not jump in and say, well, I did that or, you know, I deserve this or what area of life are you bitter because nobody has recognized your hard work? Maybe you're a mom and you just feel like nobody notices what you're doing but God does and so where what area of your life are you not feeling content and so I would ask you today to take on the example of Jesus and rather than striving for compliments from others simply release it and know that you are doing it for the glory of God and he is pleased with it and so I hope that that encourages you today I'm going to take a moment just to pray and to pray over humility and that we would have you know hearts that are striving to be humble and maybe not even striving but just content to let praise from others go so if you would just join me in prayer heavenly father lord i just thank you for this example that you gave us of humility that you the one who created the whole world the one who turned water into wine delighted and seeing others praise another and god that is such a wonderful example of how we are to be and that what we do is to glorify you and not to glorify man so father as we enter this holiday season i ask that you would just help us to not seek the praise of others but to seek to glorify you to listen for your praise to listen for your blessings or to notice your blessings lord father we just thank you for the example of your son jesus we thank you for the salvation that's found in him and lord we praise you for that and we also ask for forgiveness for the areas where we have been holding on to invisible pride and lord we release that to you this morning it's in your son jesus christ name we pray amen thank you so much and i hope that you have a wonderful rest of your week

Originally published at warren.church.