Introduction

Good morning, dear friends. Welcome to this sanctuary of solace, this haven of hope, this cathedral of Christ's love. It is here, in this sacred space, that we gather to seek wisdom, to find comfort, and to be reminded of the everlasting love of our Lord.

We are here today to turn our hearts and minds to a passage of scripture that speaks profoundly to our human condition. It is a passage that invites us to consider our relationship with God and with each other, a passage that challenges us to reflect on our attitudes and actions, and a passage that calls us to live in humility, to hear His call, and to heed his heavenly wisdom.

The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, "Humility is to make a right estimate of one's self." It is not about thinking less of ourselves, but rather about thinking of ourselves less. It is about recognizing our place in God's grand design and understanding that we are but a small part of His magnificent creation. It is about putting others before ourselves and serving God with a humble heart.

Our scripture today is from the book of James, chapter 4, verses 1 through 10. Let us listen to the word of God:

"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, we come before you today with open hearts and open minds. We ask that you fill us with your wisdom and guide us in your truth. Help us to understand your word and to apply it to our lives. May we learn to live in humility, to hear your call, and to heed your heavenly wisdom. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Harnessing Humility

In the world we live in, it's easy to get caught up in the pursuit of personal success and achievement. We're often told that to get ahead, we need to be assertive, confident, and even aggressive. But the message from James is a stark contrast to this worldly wisdom. It's a call to humility, to putting God and others before ourselves.

Humility is a virtue that is often misunderstood. It's not about being weak or passive. It's not about letting others walk all over us. Rather, it's about recognizing our place in the grand scheme of things. It's about understanding that we are not the center of the universe, but rather, we are part of a larger story - God's story.

When we are humble, we are able to see beyond our own desires and needs. We are able to consider the needs of others. We are able to listen, to learn, and to grow. We are able to admit when we are wrong and to ask for forgiveness. We are able to put aside our pride and to seek reconciliation.

Humility also allows us to see our dependence on God. We are not self-sufficient. We need God's grace, His mercy, His love. We need His guidance and His wisdom. When we are humble, we are able to submit to God, to trust in His plan, and to rely on His strength.

But humility is not something that comes naturally to us. It's something that we need to cultivate, to nurture, to practice. It's something that we need to strive for, to work towards. It's something that we need to pray for, to seek God's help in achieving.

The first step in harnessing humility is to recognize our need for it. We need to acknowledge our pride, our selfishness, our arrogance. We need to confess these sins to God and to ask for His forgiveness. We need to ask Him to help us to become more humble.

The second step is to practice humility in our daily lives. This can be as simple as listening more and talking less. It can be as challenging as putting the needs of others before our own. It can involve admitting when we are wrong, asking for forgiveness, and seeking reconciliation. It can mean stepping back and allowing others to take the lead.

The third step is to seek God's wisdom and guidance. We need to read His word, to pray, to seek His will. We need to ask Him to guide us, to direct us, to lead us. We need to trust in His plan, to rely on His strength, to submit to His authority.

The fourth step is to remember that humility is not a one-time act, but a lifelong journey. It's not something that we achieve and then move on from. Rather, it's something that we need to continually strive for, to continually work towards. It's something that we need to make a part of our daily lives, a part of who we are.

Hearing His Call

In the quiet corners of our hearts, we can hear a whisper, a call ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO