In my opinion, God is the ultimate marketeer. What do I mean? Well, the most effective marketing campaigns don’t plug the process, they spotlight the outcome.
Adverts for hair lacquers don’t focus on the fact that your hair won’t move an inch after application, they show a scene where the hairspray girl gets the guy!
When God wants to encourage us to do the right thing, He emphasises the benefits that we will enjoy when we do.
The benefits
There is a fundamental attribute that is very dear to the heart of God. But before I share what it is, I want to look at some of the blessings that we can expect when we pursue it.
He promises promotion, honor and favor, He assures us of beauty and joy, He says He will refresh us, help us and guide us. And He promises extra angelic help. All this, and so much more, is ours when we walk in heart-felt humility.
The way up
Humility is so precious to God that there is very little that He won’t do for someone with a truly humble heart.
Arguably, Moses was the greatest man alive in his time. But according to the word, he was also the humblest: “Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth.” Num 12:3 (NLT)
I believe Moses became so very great because he was so very humble. 1 Peter 5:6 says, “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.”
God has no choice but to raise him up because he was humble.
It’s a journey
The good news is that Moses didn’t start off that way so there is hope for us all! As a young man, he tried to do things his own way. He was self-reliant. But God has great ways of dealing with our hearts.
Moses was raised in Egypt in Pharaoh’s palace among a people who considered the very lowest occupation to be working with sheep. So God took Moses out of Egypt and then gave him a job as a shepherd! A cultural equivalent might be a CEO of a major company becoming a janitor.
The Hebrew word for humility is anawa which means condescension. Condescension means to voluntarily put aside your dignity or superiority and assume equality with one regarded as inferior.
A matter of the heart
While Moses was living in the wilderness, God was working on his heart. He was dealing with every sense of self-importance. He was making Moses into a man that He could use to save a nation.
In Matthew 20:26, Jesus said, “Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.” Is there someone you think is a little inferior to you? Humility is making a decision to become their servant, to lower ourselves in our hearts, our heads and in our behavior.
We can learn a lot about humility from the donkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem. He was a well-loved nobody that carried Somebody very special. You and I are called to do exactly the same!
Pain that produces gain
It does not feel good to our flesh when we give up our sense of entitlement. But it brings great peace and joy. Not only that, we are emulating Jesus. Although He is God and Lord over all, He came not to be served but to serve.
When we pursue a life of humility, we make a demand of heaven to release extraordinary benefits into our lives. If you would like the Lord to shine His light into the hidden areas of your heart and take you on a journey to wholeness and freedom, get hold of our books and come along to Healed for Life. You will be amazed at what God will do.
