DaySpring Daily Word of Inspiration: Proverbs 22:4 – Humility is the fear of the Lord: its wages are riches and honor and life.
When we hear the word humility, we immediately think of someone being lowly, bowed down or inferior of someone or something. Humility is that but so much more. The definition of humility is the modest estimate of one’s own importance or rank, the quality or condition of being in modest opinion. This seamlessly helps us arrive on the shores of spirituality and should give us a new prospective on how we approach God in everything.
As we consider how sinful we are in nature versus the ultimate and unmatched holiness of God, there should be a realism produced that makes us look at ourselves and realizes that we have no place or right to be in the presence of such perfection. The humility in that is we understand we are not worthy! We bow down, we consider our faults and we know that we’re inferior because we are nowhere as clean as the one before us – God! There is a fear. The fear is in knowing that we aren’t in any position to have a say because our importance has truly been revealed. We are sinners before our perfect Lord and Savior – do we dare hold our head up as if we could challenge the authority of God? BY NO MEANS!! You think of yourself lowly and you submit because of the fear of what one more powerful than you can actually do.
The beauty in that is we get a practice (many practices) before the game time! Thank you Jesus! Before we cross over to a permanent spiritual existence, we live out our days on Earth with an opportunity to work-out our humble state of mind and adjust to how that humility brings clarity of what grace and mercy looks like. We start to understand here on Earth that we’re not worthy, we are filthy rags, and we have missed the mark of perfection set by Jesus Christ. We see ourselves for who we really are and we humbly submit to God’s authority. As God’s love, mercy and grace become more evident, we are more humbled that a God of such power would even be mindful of us enough to allow his Son to come to Earth and die for the sins of mankind – just so we could be back in a relationship with Him. How do you feel after that? Then to top it all off, God blesses you with everything you need (and even some of your wants), allows you to be a temple for Jesus to live in and be manifested from, and even secures your place in heaven with Him by calling you a son. This is only possible when we know deep down in our hearts that we aren’t worthy of any of God’s blessings, we have no deserved rank or importance, nor should think we have a right to stand up before God Almighty.
Once we live in a nature of absolute humility, our faithful works produce payment; as the scriptures would say, wages just like any other work you are compensated for. However, the wages that we gain are (as the bible says) of riches, honor and life – not as tangible but have more lasting effects than money. Riches are always viewed as money….I know, I know, but how great would it be to be rich in peace, rich in no stress, rich in no worries, rich in contentment, rich in joy, rich in happiness, or rich in love! Think of what that type of currency would buy your family for generations to come??? I want that type of generational wealth! Do you? Well what about honor? How do I spend honor? You have an integrity that is unmatched. People look to you (and your family) for honesty, truth, and uncompromising conviction. When we live by honor, life speaks for itself! Not only will you enjoy a fruitful and amazing long life (Eph. 6:2-3), you will have life eternal in heaven with God. Who has a better paycheck than that?
Today, we have to look beyond ourselves and put God in his proper place. Living in humility prepares us for a life living in gratitude, praise and hope. We pray that your intentions are to make God magnified in your life and you take the humble road so that although you don’t deserve what God has planned for your life, you may receive it anyways. Let your fear produce wages that will benefit your life and the lives of others for now and forever more. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!