What we see is derived from what we believe. If I see a clear sky in the morning but believe it will rain in the afternoon, I see an opportunity to get outside and enjoy the day before the weather changes. If I believe a political candidate or party can calm the chaos and distractions in the world, then I see the solution in a person or activism. If I believe the God who created the heavens and the earth is sovereign over His creation, then I see Him allowing the chaos and distractions to humble the nations. His purpose in humbling the world is to bring His people back to Him.
If I believe in the Judaeo-Christian Creator I need to learn and study His ways by reading the Bible. I know He doesn’t change in persona and He works in similar ways today as He has in the past. Therefore, I see Him at work each day whether I recognize what He is doing or not. If my truth and God change with the weather and culture, I am lost, angry and confused about current events. But, if I strive to learn more about God each day, I see the clash between His Kingdom and the earthly cultural kingdoms. I see God humbling His creation today the way He has since the beginning.
The act of humbling is older than the planet. Before our Earth existed and human beings were created, God made angelic beings. The greatest of these beings was Lucifer, the Shining One. Lucifer was so full of himself that God humbled him by casting him out of heaven and sent him hurtling to a swampy punishment we know as Earth. God is the author of humbling and humility. The devil was the first to be humbled on this planet but definitely not the last.
God’s Kingdom and culture gives people free will to think, speak and live as you want. America was founded on these principles and freedoms. In turn, the current cultural battle is at the root of a worldly culture seeking to tear down and destroy these freedoms by any means possible. The world’s culture demands acceptance and approval. Acceptance of new theories about the Founding Fathers of the nation. Approval of lifestyles and concepts that God calls deceptive and immoral.
In contrast to the freedoms God gives, if you don’t accept and embrace the worldly culture you will be humiliated and cancelled. God allows us to be humbled but not cancelled. On both sides of the political aisle, the current cultural clashes are being incorrectly marketed as a fight for democracy. WHAT and WHO you believe are critical to understanding what you are really seeing and why. The Bible reminds us, HE dictates and controls who and when His creation is humbled.
“The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up. The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and exalts.” 1 Samuel 2:6-7.
‘He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.’ Luke 1:52
Humility is not a low self-regard or sense of unworthiness. To the contrary, humility is more of a modest and accurate view of one’s self and importance. When modern culture shines a light on humility it is viewed as a nice quality to have in your portfolio, but not a particularly desirable characteristic or way of life. To the contrary, Christian culture teaches humility is a mainstay of everyday life essential to pleasing God. ‘Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others as better than yourselves.’ Philippians 2:3. Although I’ve NEVER met a Christ-follower who claims this as a life verse, it does express how God wants us to live.
Events in our lives humble us. A spouse cheats and betrays your covenant of fidelity. A child dies. A financial catastrophe takes your life savings. You lose a job or your health. It comes in many forms but the result of humbling is unmistakable to see in an individual. Humbling CAN be tougher to see on a big stage IF your belief system is distracted and not firmly anchored. The world wants to distract you from God’s Word and how He works…so it can claim power and glory over God.
If anything equals or takes the place of your belief in God, then you’ll never see clearly. Want a few examples where belief and knowledge in God plays into how you see everyday events? Here’s a few.
Weather. He has always used floods and droughts. The rainbow was God’s symbol reminding us He would never again humble the world with a flood. He’s still using weather today and it’s being called climate change. The rainbow has been hijacked and is being used as a reminder for something else.
Food shortages. Remember Joseph being humbled when he was sold into slavery by his brothers? God allowed and used this humbling to save nations and his family from starvation. Look at the grocery shelves the past few months. Look again after the elections in November.
Chaos, disunity and death. God called it free will to take a life, get along with and treat others respectfully. The world calls it choice. When Christians cite abortion as a woman’s choice, you’re seeing someone forsake their beliefs to be culturally accepted. Murder will humble all parties involved.
Humility is often seen as a result of suffering and heartache and not the avenue to greatness and power. The result of God’s humbling is powerful and can be very positive. Judeo-Christian churches could do a better job teaching a ministry of suffering and humbling. If you just teach God is love, but not sovereign in the womb, or wrathful when His commandments are broken, then RVW is a means to love people but not remind them God calls the choice to stop a heartbeat, murder. If the pulpit taught God’s attributes of humbling and suffering equal to His love, more people would hear and see God in the headlines…and in their lives.
Humbling and humility conquer racism and slavery. Jews, Christians and students of history are familiar with the story, but I’m not sure we correlate conquering racism and freeing slaves with being humbled. Never-the-less, after 400 plus years of captivity, more than 2 million slaves were freed by the most humble man to ever live. ‘(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)’ Numbers 12:3.
If the most humble man to have ever lived saved an entire race and society from slavery and taught about racism, CAN it still work? WILL it still work if we humble ourselves to each other as opposed to condemning each other? Only God can humble mans heart to cure racism.
If any of this blog registers with you, if humility and being humbled appear more attractive, let me encourage you to entertain adding humility to your prayer list each day. WHY? Because…
…’ “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” ‘ Matthew 23:12.
…’God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ James 4:6
What I do know is this….God wants us to humble ourselves to Him, not the world. God humbles those He loves so He can use them for HIS purpose. Abraham became the father of many nations after God humbled him. Moses freed the slaves after 40 years of humbling and Joseph saved his people from starvation after he was humbled and sold by his brothers. God humbles those He wants to use greatly.
Proof of how God greatly uses those He humbles. If we want to see the OG role model for being humbled, look at Jesus.
‘And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-even death on a cross!’ Phil. 2:8. We get forgiveness, mercy, grace and eternity through the humbling of Jesus. This is the role model we either embrace or distance ourselves from. We either embrace being humbled or try to avoid it.
Candidates don’t advertise their humility as a quality to attract votes and support, but we should at least consider their lack of humility when casting a vote. Society and worldly culture view humility as synonymous with weakness and something to be taken advantage of. The Bible emphasizes the resulting weakness of being humbled is a key to unleashing the power of God. ‘…but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.’ 2 Cor. 12:5. The letters in red remind us God said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ 2 Cor. 12:9.
The question is, WHO and WHAT do you believe we need in America and the world today? I think we need more of the God of Creation and the Bible…I know we are seeing more of Him. Rededicate your faith and belief in Him. Then, watch Him humble the nations and His people.