Humility, by definition, requires you seeing God for who He is and living in light of that truth. Mark it down: the vibrancy of your walk with God will never outpace your humility. How can you know if you’re humble? All humble people make three confessions:
1. I can’t be everywhere-at-once.
Knowing they aren’t God; humble people realize they can’t be everywhere at once. Did you know it is possible to be with people, but not really with people? You get home from a busy day at work, you sit at the dinner table with your family, but all you’re thinking about is your to-do list and checking your email. Or you’re at home with the kids, and one of them wants to show you a craft they made, but you are too busy scrolling through your iPhone. All of us are tempted to believe that we can be multiple places at once and one of the surest ways to humble yourself is by telling yourself: when I’m there, be there. So, rather you’re with your spouse, your kids, or your friends—confess that you can’t be everywhere at once and be present with the people in front of you.
“One of the surest ways to humble yourself is by telling yourself: when I’m there, be there.”
2. I can’t know it all.
Perhaps the reason why so many of us feel chained to Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Fox News, CNN, ESPN, and for those of you that are just sick, HGTV, is because we believe that we can and must know everything. We have to know what our friends are doing, what’s happening on the other side of the world, if the Colts won, and how Joanna Gaines decorates her house. Dear friend, rest in the fact that you that you don’t have to know it all because you have a God who does. Take some time away from social media this year to remind yourself that you don’t need to know everything because after all, you can’t.
3. I can’t fix it all.
One of the ways that God humbles us is by giving us things we can’t fix. I am humbled when my wife says, “My car is making a weird noise, can you look at it?” and I reply, “No. I can look at how much gas you have left, but that’s about it.” I have to sit back and confess that I can’t fix it all. This is especially important for parents to remember. Parents need to remember that they can’t make all the right choices for their kids. That’s not how God designed parenting to work. Instead, God designed parenting to humble parents to the point of saying, God, I have no power to change my child. I’m going to lead by example and teach them Your ways, but at the end of the day, You have to change their heart. So, if you’re a parent, let me give you a challenge this year: set aside five minutes every day at the same time to pray for your children’s souls. Get your spouse, a family member, or a friend to pray with you at the same time each day for the entirety of 2019. And let it serve as a reminder to your soul each day: I can’t fix it all.
Humble yourself today by making these three all-important confessions.
This article is an excerpt from a sermon I preached at College Park Church. You can view the sermon here: