"No, o Israel, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."
(Micah 6:8 NLT)
Hello, Mrs. Kurtz. (continued from original letter)
Walk humbly with your God: I must accept who God is. God is my Creator and Savior; without Him, I am just a sinner destined for eternal punishment. Humility is accepting that I am nothing without God. Walking humbly with God is putting things in the proper order and realizing that God and His will are greater than me and my will.
"He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." (John 3:30)
(cont'd)
Dear friend,
For me, walking humbly may be the most difficult portion of this verse. I tend to be pretty self-satisfied! Although the Word truly states that we can do nothing without the Lord, it's easy to slip into an attitude of smugness. I may not say the words for others to hear, but I can find myself rehearsing "my" accomplishments in my mind.
As you have correctly stated, "walking humbly with God is putting things in the proper order and realizing that God and His will are greater than me and my will".
"After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God's servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow." (1 Corinthians 3:5-6, though the entire passage gives a better context)
"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all His glory." (Colossians 3:1-4, again, the full passage helps)
One of my struggles with this Biblical perspective is putting it into practice. When I was younger, I thought that in order to "walk humbly" I had to think terrible things of myself all the time, that I could never be satisfied with things I had done, and that I couldn't accept praise. Can you imagine the battles I had with my self-image, and with my walk of faith?
In our blog exchanges, I've tried to refrain from referencing men (other than in the attached videos), and to share Scripture alone. But today I want to share with you a powerful quote that illustrates a Biblical perspective:
(C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)
Although I cannot put my finger on a specific instance, my husband was my greatest help as I tried to understand how to walk humbly (back in our dating years). He didn't put me down or remind me of verses about humility. Neither did he inflate my ego with praise. He enjoyed life. He lived out his faith. He didn't brag about himself, nor did he disparage himself in the name of "humility". He had a right view of himself and others, and by his example I learned to do the same.
When my self-view is distorted, my relationship with God suffers. My relationships with people suffer as well. If this portion of Micah 6:8 is not present, the other portions of Micah 6:8 will be out of balance with God and His Word as well (more on that later).
Walk humbly with your God: I must accept who God is. God is my Creator and Savior; without Him, I am just a sinner destined for eternal punishment. Humility is accepting that I am nothing without God. Walking humbly with God is putting things in the proper order and realizing that God and His will are greater than me and my will.
"He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." (John 3:30)
(cont'd)
Dear friend,
For me, walking humbly may be the most difficult portion of this verse. I tend to be pretty self-satisfied! Although the Word truly states that we can do nothing without the Lord, it's easy to slip into an attitude of smugness. I may not say the words for others to hear, but I can find myself rehearsing "my" accomplishments in my mind.
As you have correctly stated, "walking humbly with God is putting things in the proper order and realizing that God and His will are greater than me and my will".
"After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God's servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow." (1 Corinthians 3:5-6, though the entire passage gives a better context)
"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all His glory." (Colossians 3:1-4, again, the full passage helps)
One of my struggles with this Biblical perspective is putting it into practice. When I was younger, I thought that in order to "walk humbly" I had to think terrible things of myself all the time, that I could never be satisfied with things I had done, and that I couldn't accept praise. Can you imagine the battles I had with my self-image, and with my walk of faith?
In our blog exchanges, I've tried to refrain from referencing men (other than in the attached videos), and to share Scripture alone. But today I want to share with you a powerful quote that illustrates a Biblical perspective:
"Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call 'humble' nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he is a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him, it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily.
"He will not be thinking about humility:
he will not be thinking about himself at all."
(C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)
Although I cannot put my finger on a specific instance, my husband was my greatest help as I tried to understand how to walk humbly (back in our dating years). He didn't put me down or remind me of verses about humility. Neither did he inflate my ego with praise. He enjoyed life. He lived out his faith. He didn't brag about himself, nor did he disparage himself in the name of "humility". He had a right view of himself and others, and by his example I learned to do the same.
When my self-view is distorted, my relationship with God suffers. My relationships with people suffer as well. If this portion of Micah 6:8 is not present, the other portions of Micah 6:8 will be out of balance with God and His Word as well (more on that later).
Heavenly Father, You are the Author of Life, and the Giver of all good things. By Your Holy Spirit we live for You. Will You search us, point out our sinful pride and self-obsession? Will You teach us to walk humbly with You?
I shared this song with you before. It has had a lifelong impact. I pray that it will echo in your heart as well.
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