Tuesday, June 1, 2010

A Peek At Pure Purpose & And Upcoming Giveaway

Once a week, through the month of June I will be sharing my blog with my friend, Susan Lawrence. She has written a wonderful study book entitled Pure Purpose. Susan has been generous enough to offer me a copy of her book to give away. If you leave a comment after any of the Pure Purpose posts, you will be entered in the drawing. Good luck!



Humility

When I was a young girl, I’d slip my feet into my dad’s boots. They reached my knees or higher, and my feet slipped forward as I stepped and upward as I lifted my feet. He had big shoes to fill, but I felt special to have them on.

We’re not going to fit into God’s shoes, but the slipping and sliding is totally worth it. I’d rather fall down and get hurt walking in God’s shoes than wearing anyone else’s! Including mine.

Humility reminds us that we don’t fill someone else’s shoes, particularly God’s. But our perspective is often distorted, and our humility is affected. We think too highly of ourselves. Or we don’t think high enough of ourselves – as God’s creation.

Our desire to look good affects humility.

Our desire to feel good affects humility.

Our desire for the best deal affects humility.

We can become bitter when we think we haven’t been given a “fair” life. And we can become complacent or even prideful when we think we’ve been given a “good” life. Both are dangerous, and both are deceptive, because both focus on what we think. You’re not God, so who are you to decide what a good or bad, fair or unfair, life is? Remember, God is the source of your life. He knows every detail. And he knows how all the details work together toward your purpose. And because God is God, we know...he knows “what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

The truth is…when we focus on how we look or feel or what type of “deal” we’re getting, our focus is ME-centered, not GOD-centered. You have a choice each moment of your life to either say,

“I can do this pretty well on my own.”

OR

“I can’t and don’t want to do this without God.”

Humility is not about putting yourself down. It’s about a proper relationship with God. Look up to God. When we say “I can do this,” we take God out of it and fail to acknowledge his existence. We become the focus. When we say “I can’t,” we take God out of it and fail to acknowledge his strength. We deflate ourselves or inflate ourselves, and both are wrong. We’re not the source of the air. God is. When we only allow him to inflate us through his encouragement and deflate us through his discipline, we start all our sentences with God. We must acknowledge God.

To the church of God in Corinth, to you who have been made holy in Christ Jesus. You were called to be God's holy people with all people everywhere who pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours. 1 Corinthians 1:2

God can do all things.

That’s all we need to know.

Your worth is in him, my friend, and no one, including yourself, can make you worth any more or any less.

Adapted from Pure Purpose by Susan H. Lawrence. Check out Susan’s blog at http://purepurposebook.wordpress.com/ and follow Pure Purpose on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/PurePurposeFB

2 comments:

Ande81 said...

Such an important lesson to learn! One I am still learning. I am have to remind myself everyday and sometimes several times a day to "Let go and let God" Oh but when I really do just let go he blesses me beyond belief. It's hard sometimes to drop the I's I want, I need, I can I can't etc etc. And I am just as guilty of replacing that I with you instead of God. I'm still learning that our Father in Heaven is the only one that can bring me peace.

Be still and know that I am God - Psalm 46:10

How amazing.... Just be still...

I love you sister and thank you so much for posting this. I will most certainly be following it this month

Nita said...

"who's driving the bus?!?". That's my humility question.
I recently had a sense of movement, but no progress. I had to "stop" the bus and check the driver status. God was on the driver's seat, but I was leaning over His shoulders fiddling with the knobs, offering directional advise, blaring the radio and putting on mascara in the mirror!!! Not to mention crabbing about the other drivers!
It's so much more pleasant to be the passenger, strapped into the armor safety belt, with the wind blowing back my hair than to be in the drivers seat making eternal decisions for myself. What do I know?! Drive on, Lord!!!