RSS

Author Archives: Jill Richard

Unknown's avatar

About Jill Richard

My name is Jill Richard. I'm a life long Christian. Trying to live my life for my Lord everyday. I've been working in internet marketing since 2003. I want people to look at me and think - What an amazing God she believes in! I want all of my actions to point back to my Lord. They don't always, and for that I am grateful for the Grace of my Lord Jesus Christ.

My God is…Able Ephesians 3:20-21

28 Nov

Ephesians 3:20-21 – 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Definition of ABLE

1a : having sufficient power, skill, or resources to accomplish an object
  b : susceptible to action or treatment
2: marked by intelligence, knowledge, skill, or competence

My God is Able
Do you ever feel like you’re not able? You’re not able to take one more minute of your babies crying, one more minute of your husband’s complaining, one more minute of being unappreciated? We often feel unable. We might feel unable to cope, unable to forgive, unable to ask for help, or unable to figure out what to do next. As humans, we do have our limitations, but often it is just our fear that stops us from moving forward. We’re afraid of the unknown. We’re afraid of failing. We’re afraid of looking stupid. Our pride gets in our way of asking for help, even from God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine
God is able. I love this verse. He’s able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine? I think I’m pretty creative, so I can come up with a lot of ideas, but He can do more than I imagine, and not just a little bit more, but a ton more, immeasurably more. In the verses before our reading it says, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Combined with knowing that God is able, we know that he has give us His power through His Holy Spirit. We are given the power to know how deep and wide and long and high Christ’s love is for us.

To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations
Again, it’s true that we have limitations. We’re not able to do everything on our own. We need God’s help, and he promises to be there. Since we are nothing without our Lord, all of the glory that comes to us in this life should be pointed to God.

Sometimes we miss that point though, don’t we? I remember a story about a man who was praying really hard that things would improve at his work. He was having trouble making his quotas, getting along with co workers and his boss. He prayed and prayed. After a while he realized things had truly improved. He was back on track in sales, his boss was respecting him and his work, and his co workers seemed to find him a bit more charming lately. The man immediately went back to the Lord in prayer saying, “Lord, I prayed to you about work. I just wanted to let you know not to worry about it, I fixed it.”
We don’t always want to give God the glory when things go well. We don’t want to think that we didn’t have a little something to do with it. We want to think it couldn’t have really happened without us. But that’s not true. God is the one who is the source of all good things, and He deserves all the glory. He is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever imagine.

Are you able?
 
Leave a comment

Posted by on November 28, 2012 in My God is Able

 

Tags: , , , ,

My God is…delighting in me Zephaniah 3:17

27 Nov

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is with you,

He delights in you

the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.

Definition of DELIGHT

1: a high degree of gratification : joy; also : extreme satisfaction
2: something that gives great pleasure <her performance was a delight>
3: archaic : the power of affording pleasure
When was the last time you were delighted? 
I think the last time I was delighted was a few days ago when I asked my boys (currently 13) where they thought they might like to go to college, they both responded with the names of Christian colleges. I was delighted. I had a high degree of gratification that they wanted to go to school where they felt they would be taught more about God and be accepted with their belief system.
He will take great delight in you
God delights in you. I’m guessing for some of you this is not news. You know that the Lord loves you and wants what’s best for you. There are others who may like me not always find it easy to think about the Lord delighting in us. I have a tendency towards self loathing. I’m a sort of perfectionist. Anything short of perfect can be a true disappointment. I have often not tried very hard at things, because I was afraid of just doing alright. But doing alright is fine if you weren’t really trying. So with all of my self loathing and self disappointment, it is hard for me to think about God being able to delight in me. He’s the only other person who can see into my heart and know for sure what a louse I am. But God doesn’t linger on the bad stuff I’ve done.
In His love He will no longer rebuke you
Before Jesus, we were held up to a pretty high standard. We were to try to keep the commandments and keep them perfectly. While we’re still called to keep them, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, it is no longer how we get into heaven. We are no longer rebuked. We are no longer loathed for our imperfections. Instead, in God’s love, He delights in us.
He will rejoice over you with singing
Do you ever get so happy your words come out in song? OK  maybe that’s just me, but sometimes I get excited and I my words come out to a tune. That’s what I think of when I read this part of the verse. I can hear God saying, “Go Jill, I adore you” to the sound of “Go Jill, It’s your birthday”. He delights in me so much that he rejoices over me with singing. I know I don’t deserve it, but what an amazing thing. That He would not only know me, but rejoice over me with singing. For me I guess I can only compare it to my love for my boys, and how I rejoice over them. Do I always love what they do? No. I can assure you I don’t, but I still delight over them on a regular basis. Praise God we’re so blessed to have a Lord and Savior who delights over us.
Are you delighted?
 
2 Comments

Posted by on November 27, 2012 in My God is delightful, My God is delighting in me

 

Tags: , , , , ,

My God is…to be thanked Psalm 136

22 Nov

Psalm 136 

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.

to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.
with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.

to him who divided the Red Sea asunder
His love endures forever.
and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.

to him who led his people through the wilderness;
His love endures forever.

to him who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.
and killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever.
Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.
and Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever.
and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.
an inheritance to his servant Israel.
His love endures forever.

He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
and freed us from our enemies.
His love endures forever.
He gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.

Happy Thanksgiving! Yes I’m writing this on Thanksgiving, waiting for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to start, and hours before I make my fruit salad for Thanksgiving dinner at our friends house. Living far from family, we’re very grateful for the family the Lord has given us here.

To Him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.

All month-long I’ve been blessed to read the thanks of my friends on Facebook. People have been sharing such amazing things, and I believe sharing the great wonders that have happened in their lives, blesses others and points us all back to God – His love endures forever.

He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.

We are so blessed that our God cares about us. Often we don’t even properly care for each other. We think that we’re better than others, or that they’re not working hard enough, or they’ve brought their troubles on themselves. Isn’t that true for most of us. OK, some of us may just have bad things happening to them, with no cause in sight, but most of us know why the bad stuff has happened. We know what has led up to our troubles. We have usually put ourselves in the position we’re now going through in life. We are no better or worse than others we meet. We try to justify our position, but the truth is, we may not have handled what they’ve been through any differently than they did. There is one who cares about us no matter the condition of our heart, our mind or our bank account. God has loved us in our low estate. He cares for us no matter what. His love endures forever.

He gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.

It’s hard to talk about Thanksgiving without thinking about food, but what a blessing it is that the Lord provides the food that we need. that he provides it for all who call on his name. For my family and I, more than once we’ve wondered how we were going to make ends meet, but our Lord has always provided us with food and shelter. In our country so many of us are blessed with an abundance of food. Let us remember to thank our Lord for this blessing. His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.

Our God is good. While you enjoy your big meal, some football and games with the family, remember this day the one who has given it all to you. Give thanks tot the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on November 22, 2012 in My God is to be thanked, Psalm

 

Tags: , , , ,

My God is…Working for my good Romans 8:28

20 Nov

Romans 8:28 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been

Do you have peeps?

called according to his purpose.

Do you have peeps? 

No not the marshmallow treats you get around Easter. Do you have people? Do you have someone in your life who’s got your back. Who only wants good for you? I am blessed to have been given people at every stage of my life, everywhere I’ve lived who I consider my people. The people I could trust to pick me up when I’m down, encourage me when I need to push a little harder, and especially those who would laugh with me.

You have someone on your side

Sometimes it doesn’t feel like we have people on our side. Sometimes it feels as if no one cares at all. We keep hoping someone is going to care about us as much as we care about them, or that we want anyone to care about us at all. Fortunately, we do have someone like that, we have God on our side. He wants good things for us. Because we have a loving God, we can be assured that our future is secure. That God is ever-moving us closer to Him, and our future is with Him in heaven. We’re still moving towards good things.

If God is for us, who can be against us?

In the same chapter of Romans, verses 32-39, we read, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Because of God’s love, as shown to us in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us, we are more than conquerors. We can overcome the trials and tribulations of this world, but only because of our Lord, and that nothing will be able to separate us from the Love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is the Love of God in Christ that gives us hope for a future. A future with our Lord and Savior.

Do you have peeps?

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on November 20, 2012 in My God is working for my good

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

My God is…My Friend John 15:12-14

15 Nov

John 15:12-14 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to

Love one another

lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

You are my friends if you do what I command

I know, I know, I have said it time and time again. God’s love is unconditional. It is not what we do, but what He does. And even though at first glance this verse would seem to contradict that, I believe it doesn’t. Here’s why: It is not that he would not be our friends, it’s that doing what he commanded is evidence of our friendship with Him.

So what is Jesus commanding us to do? 

I included verse 12 in our reading for today to make it clear what command Jesus was talking about when He said, “You are my friends if you do what I command.” Verse 12 says, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” He is telling the disciples (ahead of time) that they will see evidence of His love for them as he dies on the cross, and here He is calling them, and us, to “Love each other as I have loved you.”

A tall order

Jesus is calling us to love others as He has loved us. Yeah, but wait – he died for us. That’s a pretty tall order. I’m pretty sure most of us will not be called to lay down our life for someone else, but perhaps it also includes putting other people’s needs before our own. It reminds me of the JOY method my boys learned at their school in St. Louis. The Joy method is putting Jesus first, Others second, Yourself third.

Loving others is a response to knowing Jesus

In Bible study on Tuesday night, in preparation for studying Philippians, we went to Acts to learn about how the people of the church at Philippi came to know the Lord. We heard about Lydia and her family. How the Lord opened her heart and she believed. As soon as she believed she was moved to be baptized and then showed the others that she loved and cared about them by inviting them into her home. We also learned about the jail guard who was present when God opened the jail doors and loosened the chains around Paul and Silas. He thought they had escaped, but when he saw they were still there, he asked, “What must I do to be saved?”. They told him Believe in Jesus. He and his whole household believed. Then he cleaned their wounds (they had been beaten badly before ending up in jail), and as soon as they were cleaned up, the guard and his family were baptized. Then he gave them something to eat. But then guess what…Paul and Silas returned to their cell.

Loving Others isn’t always easy

Sometimes people make it really hard for us to love others and be their friend. They treat us poorly or worse yet treat someone we love poorly. It makes us angry and blocks our relationship with them and Jesus. Only when we focus on what is most important, our relationship with God, can we treat others with love, even when they don’t deserve it. Let’s be honest, most of the time, I don’t deserve other people’s love. I can be cranky, unkind and self-centered. But others love me despite my faults. I pray I too can do that with others.

Is loving others easy for you?

 
2 Comments

Posted by on November 15, 2012 in John, My God is My Friend

 

Tags: , , , , ,

My God is…the source of all wisdom James 1:5

13 Nov

James 1:5  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it

Let him ask God

will be given him.

If any of you lacks wisdom

Uh – yep that’s me. There are too many times to count that I wish I had made a wiser decision. Whether it’s my choice in footwear (yes mom you’re right, the boots are too tall), how late I stay up or speaking before I think, I’m not always wise. I know, shocker.

Would you please clean the pan

I just thought of an example my husband pointed out to me today. He came home for lunch and warmed up some left overs on the stove. We have this large red frying pan, and I have the impression that he hates to clean it. My husband always does the dishes, but often I find this one left out for me to clean. While he was relaxing on the couch before he returned to work, I said, “Great, I bet you’re going to leave this for me to clean. You always leave this pan out.” Now this is not really smart thing to say to the guy who always does the dishes. You don’t have a leg to stand on really, so I started hopping. I said something like, “I know you always do the dishes, but this one pan…” My husband stopped me. He said, “Why do you have to start getting mad at me for something I have not yet failed to do, and instead ask for what you want. Ask me to clean the pan before I leave.” I realized how passive aggressive I was being, and stopped my self and asked him to clean the pan before he left, which of course he did.

Let him ask God

Often we don’t ask God for what we need. We start complaining about what we don’t have or how He’s failed us, but we often never even asked for what we wanted or needed. We simply don’t ask. In Matthew 7:7-8 we are promised that when we do ask, it will be given to us “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Who gives generously to all without reproach

In John 15:7-8 we hear it another way, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” Usually when I write my blogs, I find the words coming rather effortlessly, the thoughts running through my head and my typing is the only thing slowing me down, but I must confess, I didn’t want to write my blog today. Before I started this version of this blog, I had another version that was not filled with grace, and probably wasn’t even true. It felt bad. I did what I never do and read my blog to my parents asking what they thought before I posted it. I read the first two paragraphs and my mom said, “That’s not right.” Yep. I knew that, that’s why I called. I knew it wasn’t right. After a long chat that had nothing to do with my blog, (that made my mom burn her pie – sorry mom), I came back to the blog, prayed and had a whole new perspective and plan.

And it will be given him

God has promised in many places in the Bible that if you ask it will be given to you, and fortunately for us He knows what we truly need when we pray. He can cut through the garbage and see what we’re really asking for instead of what we say. Sometimes it may seem like we’re not getting what we asked for, but God isn’t limited to the words we use, He knows our heart, and knows what we’re really asking.

What are you going to ask for?

 

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on November 13, 2012 in James, My God is the source of all wisdom

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

My God is…Powerful Joshua 4:23-24

07 Nov

Joshua 4:23-24 For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your

Things are out of control!

God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”

Everything is out of control

It’s that horrible realization you have when you can’t change what’s coming. Things might seem to be falling apart around you. The people in your life might not have your best interest at heart. Your job might be bogging you down or your boss could be unkind and make working there painful and like a punishment. We’ve all had moments when we’ve felt out of control. For the most part we don’t like to be out of control.

She’s got it all together

It’s amazing how hard we are on ourselves. We look at others and compare ourselves to them. We see the well dressed mom taking her three adorable well-behaved, well dressed children to Whole Foods, and think, why can’t I be like that? Why am I using coupons at Safeway while my toddlers scream at each other and I just noticed spit up stains on my shirt. Why do some people seem so in control when my life can seem so out of control.

Don’t play the comparison game

In our John Bible Study, the leader reminded us not to play the comparison game. We don’t really know what’s going on in other persons life. She might have money and good clothes, but she might not have the love of her husband or a good self-esteem. God has given gifts to each of us that are unique, and he provides our opportunities and promises that He has plans to prosper us and not to harm us.

God is Powerful

In our reading above, we hear about how God parted the Jordan, just as He had parted the Red Sea. What I like is that it even tells us God’s motivation. We find out why God parted the Jordan. He parted it so that we would know that “the hand of the Lord is powerful” and “so that you might always fear the Lord your God”. Now this isn’t the kind of fear that is being scared, but the kind of fear that acknowledges the power that is there. God is able to do whatever He wants, and while we fear Him in awe and revel in His power, we aren’t afraid of Him, because we know that He is good. His ways are good.

We don’t need to feel out of control

Ok, maybe we do. We aren’t in control, but one who is more powerful, more knowledgeable and more kind is in control. We can trust that there is never going to be anything that will change the goodness of the Lord, or keep Him from fulfilling His plans for us. We can trust that whatever occurs in our life the Lord can use for our good. So when things seem out of control around you, cling to the one who parted the seas and thinks about you and your well-being. Trust His power and curl up in His arms.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on November 7, 2012 in My God is My Stronghold, My God is Powerful, My God is The God of Power and Might

 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

My God is…my shield 2 Samuel 22:30-32

06 Nov

2 Samuel 22: 30-32 

With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall.

 “As for God, his way is perfect:
The Lord’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock except our God?

Duck and cover

That’s an interesting phrase, isn’t it. I think it might mean very different things to different people. When I thought of it, as a resident of Oregon, I thought about getting out of a pouring deluge of rain. For those who grew up during the cold war, it reminds them of drills they had in school when they had to go under their desks to prepare for a feared nuclear attack.

For my husband who actually experienced a bombing in Saudi Arabia it may have a more urgent tone. Though he wasn’t in the main building, most of what he owned was embedded with glass from the window shattered by the explosion. I’m pretty sure if he heard someone yell, “duck and cover”, he would.

When do you duck and cover?

There are many times in our lives when we, “duck and cover”. When people aren’t kind to us, we often withdraw from our friends. When one of our ideas is shot down at work, we sheepishly go back to work vowing never to offer any suggestions again for fear of being embarrassed. Some of us have been hurt by love one too many times and are not going to put ourselves out there just to get hurt again. We all duck and cover sometimes.

What covers you? 

When you duck and cover, do you really find protection from the things you fear? You need a powerful shield to protect you from all the things life throws at you. God promises to be that shield, “He shields all who take refuge in him.”

So how do we duck and cover with God?

When things hit the fan, and you’re sure they’re only getting worse, duck and cover in the Lord’s word. When it seems life is falling apart stop and pray, really talk it through with the one who protects you. Seek out other Christians who can help you to stay close to the Lord and seek out His protection from things that might harm you. Whatever you do don’t isolate yourself from those who care, because the Devil wants to get you on your own so he can try to break you down. Stay close to cover and be protected by the one who loves you more than you’ll ever know.

All things are possible with God

Sometimes our problems seem insurmountable. But the God of the universe is able to make all things work for the good of those that love Him. I love the verse from our reading, “with my God I can scale a wall.” I know that Samuel probably didn’t mean that literally, but I have to admit I did see him as Spiderman for a second in my mind. But what Samuel writes is true, God can help us overcome the walls in our life.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on November 6, 2012 in My God is my Guard, My God is my Refuge, My God is My Shield

 

Tags: , , , , ,

My God is…My Banner Exodus 17:15

01 Nov

 Exodus 17:15 – Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner.

Jehovah Nissi 

That’s what Moses named the altar he built to celebrate the defeat of the Amalekites at Rephidim. There are a few translations of this term and some believe it means exultation, lifted up or banner. In the NIV version of the Bible, it is stated as the Lord is my banner. Some also believe it can be translated “ensign” or “standard”, and represents His cause and His victory.

Forever let us hold our banner high high high

Ok, yes, that is from the theme song for the Mickey Mouse Club, but it can apply to our Christian lives as well. What is the point of holding our banner high? It’s so others can see what we believe. It shows what is of importance to us. You see banners being waved at concerts, ball games and even political rallies. We put what we believe on our shirts, bumpers and sometimes even our face.

Indiana man paid $15,000 for Romney’s campaign logo tattoo on face

We’re willing to put what we “love” or really really like on almost anything we own. We like brand names, endorsements to feel like we fit in with others. What kinds of messages can people get about you from your car, your clothes, your house, your job?

For me, I’m not sure I’m making that much of a statement, but if I look at those things in my life, people will see that I don’t put money above all else, or I wouldn’t have the crappy old cars I do. They can also see from the back window of one of my cars that I support the MS Society. On previous cars, I have had a fish symbol, and then people would know the terrible driver in front of them was praying for everyone’s safety too. On one of our cars you’ll see the remnants of a sticker in the back window of my hubby’s Alma Mater.

What are you telling the world?

The things we do, say and buy can all influence the way people think about us. If God is our banner, does he show up in what we purchase? In how we act? In how we treat others?

Pledge allegiance

In the old days when people used to say the pledge of allegiance in school, you would see children stand and tell what they believed in. In my Christian school we did the same for the Christian flag, stating our faith was in God. We held our banner high. If you’ve ever been in scouting, you know that there are certain ways you are to respect the “standard”, the banner, the flag. And God too gives us a list of how to respect Him.

You shall have no other gods before me – Raise your banner high – make God the most important thing in your life, above all others, above all money, fame, fortune, food, and all else that distracts us from the Lord. Or as it’s put in Luther’s Small Catechism – We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Ok, let’s be honest here. This is one commandment most of us have broken. We aren’t supposed to be using the Lord’s name unless we’re talking about Him or to Him. Luther puts it this way, “We should fear and love God so that we do not curse, swear, use satanic arts, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.”

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. We’re not supposed to hate going to church or taking time away from our work life. We are supposed to set aside time for rest and worship each week. As Luther puts it in his small catechism, “We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.”

By doing these things we lift high the banner of God, keeping God in the proper place of honor and attention. I know I don’t always do that right, but I want all I do to bring glory to God. Only through God’s help will that be possible.

What do you hold high?

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on November 1, 2012 in My God is my Banner

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

My God is…Humble Philippians 2:5-8

30 Oct

Philippians 2:5-8 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

Definition of HUMBLE

1: not proud or haughty : not arrogant or assertive
2: reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission <a humble apology>
3 a : ranking low in a hierarchy or scale : insignificant,unpretentious
   b : not costly or luxurious

Do you know people who are humble?
My Grandma Abresch was humble. She was one of the smartest people I’ve ever known. She used to choose a book from each section of the library (including health and automotive) and read them so that she would be able to have a conversation with anyone she met. She wasn’t an expert on every topic, but she could ask questions that would get the mechanic, nurse, teacher or mother talking. She didn’t ever act like she was smarter than anyone, but she was amazingly smart. She read these books, not so she could be smarter than anyone, but so she would be able to form relationships with them.

Being humble doesn’t mean you’re not important
My grandma was smart, but she was humble. Jesus was God, but He humbled Himself and became a servant. Jesus was not haughty or proud. No where do we hear Him saying, “Don’t you know who I am, why don’t you bow down and worship me?” He did not demand our worship, but instead became a servant, washing His disciples feet, healing others and ultimately volunteering His life so that we can live with Him in heaven.

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage
Jesus had every right to demand submission from those around Him. If He wanted to, He could have made really bad things happen to those who were fighting against His ministry. He had the control of the whole world at His finger tips, but He didn’t consider using being God to His own advantage. How many people do you know who have power choose not to use it to their own advantage. I don’t know too many. There are some, thank God. Each of us have our own sphere of influence, where we can learn to be humble and not push our weight around.

Rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
Ok, I don’t know about you, but this verse is a bit humbling for me. It tells us that Jesus made Himself nothing – human. Humans were the most humbling thing He could become, nothing. He put himself at the bottom of the totem pole. We are at the bottom of the totem pole – we’re human. We need to remember we’re no better than anyone else, and not think that others are there to serve us, but that we are to be like Jesus, humble, helping others.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

But even more humbling was that Jesus, in the appearance of a man became obedient to death, and not just any death, but a death that was reserved for the worst of the worst of society. Jesus who deserved our praise and adoration was treated like the lowest of the lowest of the low. He was beaten, stricken and tortured, just so he would tell them what they wanted to hear.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

We are called to be humble like Christ Jesus. What would that look like in our lives? Let’s look at the definition above to get an idea.
not proud or haughty : not arrogant or assertive – This is almost the opposite of what those who want to encourage you to become all you could be would say. They would tell you it’s important to be proud of yourself, and to be assertive, but the best leaders I’ve ever seen didn’t need to lean on their own pride, or be overly assertive. Being humble and putting others needs first is a truer reflection of Christ in our lives.
reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission– In our lives today, or at least in my own life, I can often find myself fighting for fairness. Wanting it to be fair (at least if it seems unfair in my direction – I’m less worried if it’s unfair in someone else’s life), I fight hard to make sure I get what I “deserve”. Instead of fighting, I need to reflect Jesus’ spirit of submission thinking first of others well-being.

Thinking of ways we can put others needs ahead of our own, my thoughts go out to those on the east coast. If you would like to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy – here is a link to the Red Cross:
 
2 Comments

Posted by on October 30, 2012 in My God is Humble

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

← Older posts
Newer posts →