Not Strength, Humility

It's not strength I need, but humility. When the enemy's front comes to my doorstep in the form if temptation, I often ask for strength to overcome. But today I realize its humility I ought ask for. If I hold onto 'strength' it's still about me doing it. Humility is about the Lord!

I remember a time when I was speaking with a friend in his troubled time. I said over and over, "The Lord does the work." I asked him; I drilled him with "Who does the work?" until it broke-in to the truth that God does the work. We rest in his graces, whether its fighting for souls, or fighting for our soul. Still I manage to forget what I pounded into my brother that evening nearly a year ago.

Lord Jesus has been humble. It was his humility that exalted him to the highest place. It was his humility that showed his true strength. Now my motive shan't be to humble myself so that I can be exalted- Jesus surely wasn't doing it for that. In the book of Revelation, Jesus gets the glory that's been coming to him for years and years. But He doesn't just bask in it and say "come adore me." He is humble even as he is glorious and worthy. That's ludicrous.

What can I, if only a man, hope to do, if I do not humble myself when Jesus, God incarnate did and does? Anguish! For grief! A couple weeks ago I was meditating on Philippians 2:1-11. Oh my contrite and broken heart, that same question had come up. What is my motive to humble myself in this passage, specifically? The Bible is a whole word; I don't expect this one passage to answer ALL questions of God. But at the same time I found myself asking it.

The conclusion I came I after asking God for revelation to visit was in the passage! The very fact is that Jesus is God. And even with that he was humble. I am a man, mere, save His strength. Unloving, save for His love in me. Flesh, save His redemptive mind and Right Spirit within me.

Not strength, but Humility. Amen.